For not driving through red light with ambulance behind me

Mostly because OP and the other traffic can see, I find vision the most incredible attribute for driving.

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

YANBU

I know someone who pulled forward and out of the way at a red light to let an ambulance through and they got a fine and points.

How the hell do you 'allow' another driver to collide? They are the only person responsible for their vehicle. They have brakes, steering and accelerator all available to them, as well as the anticipation and skill of driving? Totally and utterly the other drivers fault, not your exH's friends fault.

OP - you are right. You do not break traffic law or Highway Code in such a situation to let an emergency vehicle through. There are many times you can sneakily let them through, but red light on busy junction is just not one of them.

Interestingly our local police put this in last months newsletter and it stated not to go through a red light for an emergency vehicle as you can still be fined.

I guess it was a different car that beeped at you as the ambulance would know to wait.

You did the right thing. Ambulance driver is wrong for continuing with blues and twos when you couldn't legally move out of the way. They are trained to turn off the horns and wait in such situations. It's well known and the official advice that a driver shouldn't in any way break a traffic law to allow for an emergency vehicle.

Going through a red light from a standing start at 4/5 mph to pull in front of a stationary car in a situation where you are not putting it in the potential path of any other cars is clearly not a dangerous manoeuvre!!!

@MrFluffyDogIsMyBestFriend the ambulance should have turned off sirens as they are not meant to pressure a car to do an illegal dangerous manoeuvre which going through a red light is.

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.

To help an ambulance reach an ill patient or get an ill patient to hospital.

Why does my proposed plan of action upset you? It doesn't affect you. Unless you or a loved one are the patient. In which case you might be pleased.

Yes. Everyone knows this.

@MyrtleLion the police tell you not to do it, so why would you?

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?

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!

It's always against the law though unless you're an emergency vehicle.

This is a fallacious argument. @User34445566677 do you not see that you didn’t have to, were not being asked to, nor expected to drive through a red light? You should have carefully pulled forward a bit, hard, hard move right as much as possible to create the space for the ambulance to get past you. That’s all. That’s not breaking the rules on traffic lights. There is always room for you manoeuvre this way at lights. Did you not think there was a reason they chose to drive behind the one single sole car even if in the RHS lane?! Are you a newly qualified driver? If not, engage your brain and do think a little bit more next time.

Going through a red light is not necessarily dangerous.

Indeed, we have a bull horn for when we want to do it deliberately!!

The ambulance was in the wrong…they are not allowed to force you to jump a red light

Not read the full thread but, regarding the beeping at you - the beep is actually part of the siren function, they haven't deliberately put their hand on the horn to pip at you.

Absolutely did the right thing, as multiple people have said, you can be prosecuted if you go through the red lights.

Having had a fine for entering a box junction, one of the things mentioned under mitigating circumstances was if an emergency vehicle was wanting to get past.

Yes you will be fined automatically but a simple explanation will cancel the fine

As for sticking to the letter of the law, maybe local councils should look at the law before erecting non compliant signage. (Been to court and won against these so called experts)

Also if you are turning right, stopping in a box junction is legal

Look, just because you’re wealthy enough to be able to pay the fine multiple times (“any day of the week”) and can afford to lose your licence without worrying about how you’re going to get to work doesn’t mean that the rest of us can.

There are so many unpleasant posts on here trying to make the OP feel guilty, as if she is personally responsible for the death of someone - when she has literally done nothing wrong. Nothing. And so many people are sniping away about how it’s fine to creep through a red light or drive into the railings or whatever they would have done from their moral high ground to prove that they care more.

Myself and a learner had to go through a red light waiting at traffic lighta near me for a police car at rush hour traffic. That road is bad all the time and no room for going to the side. Never got a word about points. I worried something would come through the post but nope.

Except the many, many people on this thread suggesting the OP should go through a red light.