For not driving through red light with ambulance behind me

Don’t go through a red light ever unless the police instruct you to do so
ambulance crews will wait for it to change then move over as soon as you can

This!!!!

I've only been driving 18 months, and this wasn't something that came up in lessons/driving test so I've been meaning to check up on this. I always panic when I hear one as everyone pulls over etc but I haven't had to so far. I have seen cars pull past a red light to let ambulances through, I saw it just this week infact. I expect the ambulance chose your lane because you were the only one with one car in so could have moved for them, so it must be the expected thing to do .

There is no difference in law between temporary lights or permanent lights, so you are making my point for me: different circumstances need different approaches.

I work for ambulance service - you're essentially right; you can only legally proceed through a red stop light if you are directed to do so by a police officer.

If you proceed through red light because of an ambulance behind you and trigger a traffic cam you'll very likely get the points/fine. If it was that you were observed to do so by a police officer I'm fairly certain they'll use their discretion and wouldn't consider pulling you up on doing so.

Guidance for us is if the path through a red light is blocked (which we have the exemption to treat as a giver way) is to turn the siren off and sit back and wait for the opportunity to progress. The only time we don't do this, and I agree it's not technically correct, is when we are responding to something like a child not breathing and seconds will make a difference - we're only human and desperately trying to get through so will be a bit pushier in those circumstances.

@PyongyangKipperbang Yes, but it wasn’t upheld. I was genuinely surprised by that.

When I had a motorcycle, I was out on it at about 2am and stopped at the lights on an A road that was crossing a motorway junction. At such a late time, I think the traffic light was activated by lights from approaching vehicles... and my motorcycle did not set it off. I was sat there for about 15 minutes until a car came up behind me and the light changed to green.
I could have carefully inched out and ran that red light, but it was too dangerous and could have ended very badly.

Temp light are a bit different, and you tend to see the other end anyway so you can judge things a bit better.

It doesn't just say that! Have you even read what you posted?

It says you should pull right if possible! This is completely inappropriate / highly dangerous advice in the UK where we drive on the left!

My friend had his blue light driver training a couple of months back. Im pretty sure he said they cant approach other vehicles at traffic lights and intimidate with lights and sirens. I think they need to turn sirens off.
The ambulance driver was in the wrong

Did he defend it?

That is false, sorry.

No you dont, or at least my father didnt. He contested it, the lights camera footage showed what happenend and the fine and points were cancelled.

So.....go steady with the ascertations.

And just for reference you can hear and see an ambulance with light and sirens on from a way off so maybe you shoukd have prepared to move over before they were on you?

Often when you can hear an emergency vehicle it's difficult to work out whether it's coming in the same direction as you or not.

Temp lights are different, if they are stuck for an unusually long time you would then proceed with caution, there is also no solid white line that you would be crossing. We are not talking about temp lights though. We are talking about going through a red light for an emergency vehicle

You did the right thing. You are not to drive through a red light, even if an ambulance is trying to push you through.

Yes. Even if there’s an ambulance caught in the camera with you they won’t reverse it. I think it’s also because the ambulance drivers won’t necessarily have the view to make the decision for a driver in front of them.

I certainly hope you did contact someone. I take your point that you couldn't just wait there forever but if everyone just drives accross and doesn't report it then it won't get fixed and subsequently an accident could happen.

Paramedic here.
They should of switch sirens off and sat back until either the lights changed or the cars in front sorted themselves out a bit to create space. They should never be pressuring you to drive through a red light.

My brother did this recently and was fined and received points. It was money he couldn’t really afford to lose. It’s all very well being righteous and taking the moral high ground but there can be serious consequences if you’re caught. It’s a risk I wouldn’t take.

That’s not really the point though. We are supposed to follow the law while driving. I admit that I use my own judgement and don’t always, however. I have driven onto a pavement to let an ambulance past, for example. It was safe and the traffic was not going to clear quickly. But I don’t judge people who don’t. And some people are better not doing so.

You were confused as to what to do so not running the red light was probably best. The last thing you should do is risk another emergency.

I don’t. So my actions are dictated by my environment, not yours.