to think you pull over for ambulances?

[CycleChic]

I'm on a bus and an ambulance just drove past, going in the other direction. The bus didn't even slow down. AIBU to think he should have?

Was travelling in an ambulance with my dd (nothing major) and the paramedic commented that people are often so quick to pull over they don't think about the flow of traffic or whether the ambulance can actually get past, and often they'd prefer they just keep going with the traffic until somewhere easy to pass.

You do see some people who hear a siren and immediately point their car at the kerb and slam the brakes on, often either blocking the emergency vehicle or the other traffic trying to move out of its way. Its all about common sense: Do you need to move out of the way and if so what's the safest and most sensible way to do so. Some people do seem to be lacking in spatial awareness though!

Interesting question that I was wondering about today, actually! Was driving at about 50mph in an NSL zone, following several other cars, when a police car came along with lights and sirensin the opposite direction, clear road. Most of the cars ahead slowed down and pulled to one side to be sure to be out of the way but the car in front of me did a pretty rapid stop. My instinct at the time was that the cars further ahead made the safer decision...

Re moving forward at a red light. My driving instructor said never to do this, a red light must never be passed as it is illegal and could create a massive hazard. The emergency vehicle driver will read the road and work out the best way past.

I must admit I would cross the red light for a fire engine or ambulance. Every second could be critical for them

Red lights are not absolute STOP (the proviso of what is actually happening on the road/ being instructed by Police still applies). Flashing Red cannot be passed by ANY vehicle (level crossings have them).

I drive and I have noticed that some don't pull over and sometimes because they don't it makes it awkard for me if I'm behind them, really annoys me there could be someone in there dying but people seem to think their destination is more important than someone life

I actually crossed a red light today to let a fire engine pass, I just drove infront of the car on the right. I didn't know you weren't meant to do that

My worst experience was watching an ambulance approach on the other side of the road with a car in front, the driver didn't see it until it was on their bumper and the driver then pulled into my lane and stopped

I do slow down when an emergency vehicle approaches from the other side of the road and try to read the traffic. On A roads its best to keep your normal speed and leave the fast lane free, so many people don't check their mirrors enough though.

this says don't go through red lights and don't pull onto pavements. If you go through a red light and cause an accident then it's still your fault and if you're fined you have to pay it.

You don't go through a red light but if stopped at lights and an emergency vehicle is trying to get through the red light past stopped traffic I think I would pull forwards slightly to allow cars to move to the side to allow the vehicle through.

If this meant going slightly over the line by the light I would do so, but not where it meant I was travelling through the junction, or that other traffic couldn't turn.

This morning I was driving along a 40 mph road, few cars in front, few behind. Ambulance coming the other way with sirens on, clear road their side, so why earth did the cars in of me slow down and pull over??

Oh and don't go through red lights!! Chance of you causing another accident is higher than the chance that they'll not find another way through, or that the 10 seconds longer they take will cause major harm.

I pull over if I am in the way but drivers panicking and doing unnecessary road swerves and braking if the road is clear just cause problems. If there are 2 lanes and the emergency vehicle is on the other side of the road I'd only pull over if their lane was blocked or very busy and then I'd pull over slowly with lots of indicating as the traffic behind me may not be expecting me to change my trajectory.
I wouldn't cross a red light.
I don't want to add to the number of ambulances on the streets.

I now live on a main road often used by emergency vehicles.

The driving is appalling. I often see drivers who are not in the path of the ambulance (where it is coming the other way) swerve up onto the pavement. That pavement is also a cycle lane and I've seen two near misses with cyclists in recent months. One with an oncoming cyclist and one where the driver almost clipped a cyclist coming from behind and presumably in his blind spot.

Whatever you do, do it safely. The last thing the ambulance needs is a fatality en route.

It's often very difficult to know what's the best thing to do when am ambulance / police car is approaching. You shouldn't have a blanket rule in your head like ALWAYS pull over or ALWAYS carry on as if nothing is happening. You have to assess, see what other people are doing, and work out what is best to do.

As a response driver, the best thing you can do for me, is not panic . Don't grind to a halt , don't suddenly dive onto the pavement , and don't stop next to bollards . Signal and give me a clue what you're doing , and I can do the rest . The other thing I would ask, is if the police car passes you , PLEASE check there isn't a second one , because sometimes if we're starting the shift and the emergency calls comes out , both cars can run from the station as a pair . Both accidents I've had at work have been because someone hasn't checked , thought the coast was clear , and pulled out straight in front of me , as the second car. We use two different sirens , so as to try and warn people of two vehicles , but it doesn't always work.

Sidge
You don't go through a red light but if stopped at lights and an emergency vehicle is trying to get through the red light past stopped traffic I think I would pull forwards slightly to allow cars to move to the side to allow the vehicle through.
If this meant going slightly over the line by the light I would do so, but not where it meant I was travelling through the junction, or that other traffic couldn't turn.

Going over the line is what gets you a ticket, and saying you did so to allow a response vehicle through doesn't cut any ice, you'd still be expected to pay any fine.

Ah I shall bear that in mind FryOne. Seems harsh though

It's a dilemma though, I'm thinking of a set of lights right by our big general hospital, everyone stops at the lights very close together and if no one moved forwards slightly to let cars budge over and ambulances through they'd be stuck until the light goes green! If I'm at the front I'll keep back and hope nobody is right up my bumper...

Sidge We're lucky in that locally a lot of the traffic lights have two lines, so that cyclists can go in front of cars, so you can still move up to the front line.

I have seen ambulances going the wrong side of bollards, etc, they can do that if they consider it safe to do so.

I would never go through a red light, I once witnessed a horrific accident due to someone doing this. It's a Large junction with lights on all four side roads joining a 40mph main road. There's crash railings along side all the paths / roads so no where for cars to pull over to let an emergency vehicle past. Our lights were on red, ambulance with blue lights and sirens approach. The man in the car in the lane next to me panicked as the ambulance was right behind him and could not get past, so he pulled across the main road - there was a car coming down at speed to get through the green and it smashed straight into him flipped over and slid across the road into another island and knocked the lights down onto it. The man who was hit was also sent flying and his car was a complete crumpled mess. Absolutely horrific - we could see it happening before it did but powerless to stop it.

You have to look what other people are doing