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Original poster

For not driving through red light with ambulance behind me

311 replies

User34445566677 · 07/12/2025 21:13

Stuck at red lights in 3 lanes of traffic. I was in right hand lane to turn right, at the front of white line and railings to my right so couldn't pull to the side. Middle lane for straight on. Left hand lane (towards hospital) is always allowed to filter through first via green light to the left, then after a while, the forward and right turn green lights come on. Ambulance comes up my lane whilst red traffic lights on. Blue lights and sirens on, all while the ambulance is indicating left (I am the only car in this lane, other lanes have several cars in). Ambulance leaves sirens on, and even beeps while lights are on red ( though i am not 100% sure this was the ambulance, but don't know who else it would have been?). From what I have read, you should not cross during a red light even for an emergency vehicle, I would have been entering a box junction? Was I BU to not cross the red light? And I think the Ambulance would have been quicker going in the left lane which filtered through first? Very confused. TIA

OP posts:
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6
MasterBeth · 08/12/2025 21:31

sittingonabeach · 08/12/2025 21:17

@MasterBeth but the rules are, per emergency services, don't go through the red light, so why would you go against that?

In order to let an ambulance through in what might be a life or death situation.

sittingonabeach · 08/12/2025 21:31

@calkel but the emergency services tell you not to do it

BrickBiscuit · 08/12/2025 21:22

rainbowsandraspberrygin · 08/12/2025 21:16

This has actually been a helpful thread for me as I have always been a bit unsure. I know the rules but when you have the lights behind you it can feel very intimidating!

So which camp are you in now?
No, it's illegal and I wouldn't do it.
Yes, I'd do it and pay up if I get fined and take the points.
Yes, I'd do it - they won't fine me if I just inched across the line a little bit or I prove there was a blue light behind me.

calkel · 08/12/2025 21:20

sittingonabeach · 08/12/2025 20:40

@calkel why do you think you know better than the law and police guidance?

I don’t think I know better. I know the law, I’m just happy to break that one law, if it means safely moving for an emergency vehicle.

StuntNun · 08/12/2025 21:19

My son failed his driving test for doing exactly that only it was a fire engine rather than an ambulance. You did the right thing.

sittingonabeach · 08/12/2025 21:17

@MasterBeth but the rules are, per emergency services, don't go through the red light, so why would you go against that?

rainbowsandraspberrygin · 08/12/2025 21:16

This has actually been a helpful thread for me as I have always been a bit unsure. I know the rules but when you have the lights behind you it can feel very intimidating!

MasterBeth · 08/12/2025 21:06

sittingonabeach · 08/12/2025 15:02

@MasterBeth the OP would have entered a box junction with multiple entry points, how would that not be dangerous, never mind illegal

That situation may well have been dangerous.

But not every single situation when you go through a red light is dangerous, which is the claim of some of the people in this thread.

sittingonabeach · 08/12/2025 21:00

I do think it is amazing that there are some posters on here who think they know better than the emergency services, you know the people who are highly trained in these situations. But posters who are bog standard drivers think they know best

Nearly50omg · 08/12/2025 20:57

travailtotravel · 07/12/2025 21:16

Omg you pull forward enough to let them through .... everyone can see the ambulance and gets pit of its/your way in letting it pass. When the blue lights are on get out of the way.

NO you DONT!!! You’re an idiot!! Seriously do your research about this and read what the judges have said when people have been taken to court for doing exactly what you’ve said they should!! It causes more accidents and is a very dangerous thing to do!! You will not get out of being charged for dangerous driving just because there’s an emergency vehicle behind you

pinkstripeycat · 08/12/2025 20:49

Burningbud1981 · 07/12/2025 21:21

Not if you’ve gone through a light and stopped to allow an ambulance to pass.

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You are wrong. Hoppingreen is correct

pinkstripeycat · 08/12/2025 20:48

travailtotravel · 07/12/2025 21:16

Omg you pull forward enough to let them through .... everyone can see the ambulance and gets pit of its/your way in letting it pass. When the blue lights are on get out of the way.

You are 100% WRONG! Previous posters are right and they know they are

sittingonabeach · 08/12/2025 20:46

For those saying OP should have moved, would you go though a red light if there was an ambulance behind you (but without their blues and twos on) and there was no gap for the ambulance. Because they are not meant to have them on in a situation like that, but it might still be a matter of life and death. Would you use your all seeing eyes and superior knowledge and driving skills to move out of the way then?

MyrtleLion · 08/12/2025 20:44

Mothership4two · 08/12/2025 20:23

Why so snarky? I wasn't rude to you. This is MN where posters allowed (if not positively encouraged) to comment EVEN if it doesn't affect them - it would be unusual if it did TBH. As what you were saying is illegal AND going against official advice, I thought I would. It's been commented upthread several times that moving for an emergency vehicle wouldn't (and hasn't for some) be a reasonable defence.

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Not snark. I'm just clarifying that reasonable people make different judgement calls in real situations. I wasn’t advocating reckless driving, only noting that context matters and drivers sometimes make safe, proportionate decisions to help emergency vehicles.

It feels like my comment may have hit a nerve, but there’s no need for this to spiral. I’ll leave it there and won’t be engaging further.

sittingonabeach · 08/12/2025 20:40

@calkel why do you think you know better than the law and police guidance?

Chiseltip · 08/12/2025 20:27

travailtotravel · 07/12/2025 21:16

Omg you pull forward enough to let them through .... everyone can see the ambulance and gets pit of its/your way in letting it pass. When the blue lights are on get out of the way.

No. Wrong advice. Absolutely 💯 wrong.

Chiseltip · 08/12/2025 20:26

User34445566677 · 07/12/2025 21:13

Stuck at red lights in 3 lanes of traffic. I was in right hand lane to turn right, at the front of white line and railings to my right so couldn't pull to the side. Middle lane for straight on. Left hand lane (towards hospital) is always allowed to filter through first via green light to the left, then after a while, the forward and right turn green lights come on. Ambulance comes up my lane whilst red traffic lights on. Blue lights and sirens on, all while the ambulance is indicating left (I am the only car in this lane, other lanes have several cars in). Ambulance leaves sirens on, and even beeps while lights are on red ( though i am not 100% sure this was the ambulance, but don't know who else it would have been?). From what I have read, you should not cross during a red light even for an emergency vehicle, I would have been entering a box junction? Was I BU to not cross the red light? And I think the Ambulance would have been quicker going in the left lane which filtered through first? Very confused. TIA

You need to report the driver. That's against their training. That driver would be removed from duty pending further training.

Mothership4two · 08/12/2025 20:23

MyrtleLion · 08/12/2025 11:33

Only if caught and then there is a reasonable defence.

I don't generally break the law but helping an ambulance reach its destination quicker in circumstances where it is safe to do so, might be a good reason.

Anyway, why do you care? It doesn't affect you in the slightest. Or do you just like telling people off on the internet?

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Why so snarky? I wasn't rude to you. This is MN where posters allowed (if not positively encouraged) to comment EVEN if it doesn't affect them - it would be unusual if it did TBH. As what you were saying is illegal AND going against official advice, I thought I would. It's been commented upthread several times that moving for an emergency vehicle wouldn't (and hasn't for some) be a reasonable defence.

rwalker · 08/12/2025 20:15

Peppermilk24 · 08/12/2025 10:42

That’s a shitty thing to say and apportions blame to the OP for something firstly she couldn’t help and secondly over a scenario that you have imagined in your head ! What happens if the OP caused an accident by “creeping” forward as you advise - or do you think accidents only occur when someone is speeding ? I’m not sure if you should be driving tbh - you don’t seem to know the rules of the road!

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You absolutely use common sense
of course you wouldn’t plough into on coming traffic
but there are plenty of junctions and traffic lights where you can go over the white line by the lights and your still not crossing into the path of traffic

calkel · 08/12/2025 20:07

sittingonabeach · 08/12/2025 17:35

@calkel so when normally driving do you ignore the law and police guidance (all police websites I have looked at tell you not to go through red light if ambulance etc is behind you with blues and twos on) just because you can see?

As before, yes I would ignore that and crawl through a red light if it was safe to do so (using my eyes to help that decision) and it might be the difference between life and death. Every single time. Yes.

Topseyt123 · 08/12/2025 18:57

travailtotravel · 07/12/2025 21:16

Omg you pull forward enough to let them through .... everyone can see the ambulance and gets pit of its/your way in letting it pass. When the blue lights are on get out of the way.

You don't do it on a red light. That would be extremely dangerous and pulling straight into the path of traffic. I can think of many examples of traffic lights round here where there is no room for manoeuvre at all, and no scope to "get out of the way" as you put it.

You obey the lights and then pull aside as soon as it is safe to do so afterwards.

BrickBiscuit · 08/12/2025 18:40

Theroadt · 08/12/2025 07:06

Rule 219 of highway code emphasises getting out of way but only if you can do so safely, and concludes: “If you do cross the stop line at the junction whilst the lights are on red, you will commit the offence of contravening a red traffic light. It's important to remember that in committing the offence (crossing the stop line) the onus will be on you to provide evidence that you did so to allow an emergency vehicle through. That may be considered as mitigation, but there is no guarantee that it will be. If the police decide to prosecute you for the offence and you choose to challenge that decision, it will ultimately be a matter for a court to decide.”

The Highway Code does NOT say this. Your words are from the 'askthe.police' website, not the Highway Code. They are talking about the Highway Code, not quoting it. And their advice is at variance with other official and police pronouncements (which say don't do it at all).

OneFunBrickNewt · 08/12/2025 18:32

RealOliveTraybake · 08/12/2025 00:46

The police can and do order people to move through red lights in emergencies. You've got to wait for them to ask though, they're usually quite irate by that point too.

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Someone in a car with sirens on madly gesticulating behind doesn't count. It has to be a police officer- usually on foot- giving a clear and legal direction.

TheOnlyLivingBoyInNewCross · 08/12/2025 18:23

MrFluffyDogIsMyBestFriend · 08/12/2025 13:19

There's no room for this "adherence to rules at any cost" on the roads.

My exH's friend refused to let a car in front of him and allowed it to collide with another car. But apparently he was right because he was following the Highway Code. I know it's not quite the same but you could have pulled forwards. You were wrong no matter how much validation you receive on here.

Your ex’s friend didn’t ‘allow’ a collision. What a ridiculous thing to say.

But given that you then go on to say the OP was wrong despite her being completely in the right, it’s not surprising that you’d think that someone can ‘allow’ two cars to collide just by following the rules of the road, it not occurring to you that just possibly one of the other two drivers was at fault 🤨

sittingonabeach · 08/12/2025 17:35

@calkel so when normally driving do you ignore the law and police guidance (all police websites I have looked at tell you not to go through red light if ambulance etc is behind you with blues and twos on) just because you can see?