AIBU to think drivers should reverse rather than cross red lights?

Neither option. Wait until the lights change. Emergency vehicles now turn their sirens off for that reason.

I don’t think emergency vehicles are allowed to go through red lights either are they unless they’re completely sure it’s safe? Best thing to do is wait for the lights to turn then allow the emergency vehicle to overtake safely

You really shouldn’t be driving if you think this

Both of your options are dangerous and wrong. Pull over to let an emergency vehicle pass if it's safe to do so, but don't drive forward through a red light and don't start reversing in a traffic queue. Total madness.

Beeping drivers should rein it in as well. Emergency vehicles have flashing lights and sirens - they don't need other drivers blowing their horns to 'help'.

You cannot cross the stop line while the light is red, regardless of any emergency vehicle coming up. It's their problem and they're trained to get through. Facilitate their passage if possible, but otherwise, do nothing.

Was following a learner a couple of days ago and a police car was coming the other way, following a single car. He pulled in to let the PC pass, and the learner stopped exactly opposite the now stopped car on the other side of the road. Either the instructor or the learner panicked, but it is typical of what happens - car on my side didn't need to stop or slow at all. Total failure to read the road.

If the ambulance has sirens off then why are people moving at all? The ambulance uses its sirens to signal they need to get through quickly IF safe to do so.

nobody should be undertaking unsafe manoeuvres (which arguably in most cases going through a red light and reversing on a busy road would be)

Have you ever been in a situation where a number of vehicles all have to reverse? I have, following a motorway closure. Even though there were police officers there to direct people it was an utter shit-show. Too many drivers are unable to reverse more than a few metres while keeping in a straight line. If they can't do it when they're being directed by police, I have no confidence they'll be able to do it when they're doing it by themselves while also trying to work out the intentions of the other people reversing around them.

Emergency vehicles can also get tickets going through red lights. Just stay still and let them navigate their own way round you. They are trained to do this.

They dont want you to go through red lights. They want to get to the emergency safely, noy have to divert to an accident caused by a "helpful" driver.

They will go round you.

I'm not sure that reversing towards a rapidly approaching emergency vehicle would be a good idea.

Move over if you can but don't go past the red light. It's not ideal from the point of view of helping the emergency vehicle to get where it's going but that's just the way it is, sadly.

Neither. Reversing a whole queue of traffic is just if not more dangerous. .

Potentially if junctions were designed better the stop line would be perhaps 1 and 1/2 car lengths from the actual light stop at major junctions where emergency vehicles are frequent. This would allow such cars to pull forward without crossing the lights.

A more long term fix would be a change in driver behavior where drivers naturally pull towards the curb when stopping. Im sure I saw some video, perhaps Germany where on dual carriageway the reaction to stopping traffic is pull left or right depending on your lane and almost create a whole middle lane.

Of course cyclists probably will be unhappy that they can't go flying up the inside of stopped cars, but perhaps they too should change their behaviour to overtake properly...

You will still get a ticket for crossing a red light even if it’s to make room for an emergency vehicle