Ambulance drivers

1886

Do ambulance drivers have any form of advanced driving?

In the past two months I`ve seen some really dangerous driving from ambulances. I would`nt be 'venting' if the ambulance had had it`s sirens on but on two occassions when I`ve had a green light an ambulance has came across my green light without it`s sirens on. Both times close to hitting myself and other vehicles.

I despair really as they`re meant to be helping people, they`ll be contributing to accidents soon

maninthestreet

Did the ambulances have their flashing blue lights on?

dacouch

1886 wrote: »

Do ambulance drivers have any form of advanced driving?

In the past two months I`ve seen some really dangerous driving from ambulances. I would`nt be 'venting' if the ambulance had had it`s sirens on but on two occassions when I`ve had a green light an ambulance has came across my green light without it`s sirens on. Both times close to hitting myself and other vehicles.

I despair really as they`re meant to be helping people, they`ll be contributing to accidents soon

They're trained to switch their sirens off at traffic lights when they are stuck behind other vehicles. This is to stop the car drivers panicking and driving through the red light which is dangerous and can also get the car driving convicted of jumping a red light.

If they have their Blue Lights on then you should see them and act accordingly.

PZH

dacouch wrote: »

They're trained to switch their sirens off at traffic lights when they are stuck behind other vehicles. This is to stop the car drivers panicking and driving through the red light which is dangerous and can also get the car driving convicted of jumping a red light.

If they have their Blue Lights on then you should see them and act accordingly.

Is that right ? I can understand the sirens being turned off so as not to "panic" people and this is done when they deem that it is unsafe for the car(s) in front to move - but I always thought that ANY emergency vehicle crossing a red light had to have both lights and sirens active. (i.e. they should turn them back ON)

Even then - they have no right of way through a red light and only do so with caution ?

fluffnutter

Isn't it a bit churlish to complain about ambulance drivers? Honestly? They've probably got someone dying in the back. Just let them get on with it.

ThumbRemote

fluffnutter wrote: »

Isn't it a bit churlish to complain about ambulance drivers? Honestly? They've probably got someone dying in the back. Just let them get on with it.

Even if they had someone dying in the back - which you're just guessing at - it still doesn't mean thay can do whatever they want.

The safety of everyone else is just as important as the person inside the ambulance.

liam8282

dacouch wrote: »

They're trained to switch their sirens off at traffic lights when they are stuck behind other vehicles. This is to stop the car drivers panicking and driving through the red light which is dangerous and can also get the car driving convicted of jumping a red light.

If they have their Blue Lights on then you should see them and act accordingly.

I thought the main areas that emergency vehicles had to have lights & sirens on was traffic lights, roundabouts etc.

Traffic lights should surely need sirens to alert pedestrians.

Pennywise

dacouch wrote: »

If they have their Blue Lights on then you should see them and act accordingly.

Lots of junctions have bad visibility where you can't see opposing vehicles - often it's the bad visibility that was the reason for the traffic lights - i.e. to improve safety at bad junctions.

[Deleted User]

What is this? 'Lets !!!!! about emergency services' day?

tanith

There is a list for exemptions from Road Traffic Rules here..http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blues_and_twos

and it does say these exemptions apply whether blue lights and sirens are being used.

OneYorkshireLass

Isn't the rule 'go if the way ahead is clear' for a green light? If an ambulance is crossing then the 'way ahead' is obviously not clear.