Would you go through a red light for an ambulance?

[Lauren1983]

More of a what would you do really...

Walking home and got to a set of traffic lights where someone had already pressed the button when I began to hear the sound of an ambulance. The ambulance was stuck behind traffic as there are lots of roadworks happening on the road.

Traffic lights turned red for cars so me and someone opposite decided to cross as I thought it would be better to get across quickly and to not cause confusion.

There were 2 blokes waiting to cross as well and they told the vehicle at the front of the crossing to go but he wouldn't until the lights had turned green. One of blokes waiting to cross started swearing and shouting at the driver. Should he have gone through? The other 5 vehicles behind would have had to as well although it may have been amber for them. What is the correct thing to do?

No. The Highway Code is very clear on this: you must not go through a red light, mount kerbs or break other rules to allow emergency vehicles through.

As it says, emergency vehicle drivers are trained to get through traffic. Other drivers breaking the rules doesn't help them.

If you're unsure, remember that an ambulance behind you won't get you out of the three points/fine when the letter lands on your doormat.

My understanding is that it is illegal to drive through a red light for ANY reason for the ordinary driver. An ambulance or police officer should progress under blues and twos without forcing anyone else to commit an offence.

Move your car to the left or right but don't drive on was what my instructor told me.

It's still illegal to run the red, so no.

He shouldn't have "gone through" the red, he should have moved as safely as possible, including onto the crossing if necessary and doable, in order to let the ambulance pass.
No pedestrian should have crossed.

As PP said, the driver was right. Points and a fine if you get caught going through a red light.

You were right, he was an idiot.

Thanks for the replies. Am a non driver so wasnt sure.

I'm not sure if I should have crossed or not as well but there was no way the ambulance was getting through without several cars going through the red light. Without the road works I wouldn't have crossed as the ambulance would have had a clear path to get through.

The OP's point that the traffic lights turned red for cars so me and someone opposite decided to cross as I thought it would be better to get across quickly and to not cause confusion is exactly why drivers are not allowed to jump red lights in these circumstances. What if a deaf person or someone glued to their headphones sees the green light and just crosses? The same applies if the red light is at a junction, if car(s) go through the red light they may hit someone with the right of way who didn't hear the siren.

It may sound harsh but from an emergency worker's point of view, it's better one ambulance is slightly delayed than a second one has to be called out because people broke the rules trying to clear a route for the first.

Not blaming the OP for crossing by the way - I'm sure you did what was best in the moment - but highlighting the fact that if a car had gone through the red light while you crossed, it wouldn't have ended well.

Those blokes were idiots.

I wouldn't have crossed. I'd have stood well back and let the drivers sort it out.

driver was quite right, there is NO situation in the UK when it is ok to drive through a red light. Not even 'to get to the shop as it is only a pedestrian crossing' which is the nonsense I've heard in my village.

anyone fit to drive will know the ambulance is coming and plan ahead, the loud noise and flashing light is a bit of a giveaway.

You’re not supposed to move out the way by any means possible - only when it’s safe to do so

The last thing the ambulance wants to do is attend to the road traffic collision that you have caused right in front of them when they still need to attend the emergency they’ve been called out to

Not at a pedestrian crossing with people waiting to cross, but it's normal to mount the curb (with no people around) or go through just a junction red light slightly if safe to do so here. I live near an ambulance station and as long as you're not going to do anything unsafe people always do their best to get out of the way even if that means both lanes mounting curbs for an ambulance or other vehicle to go down the middle.

As long as it was safe to do so, I would and have done so along with the other drivers I see doing it on a weekly basis. Even have in my driving lesson and not been told not to, just that I did it very calmly.

I've just been in that situation. Lights on red, ambulance coming up behind me and I was at the head of the queue.

I waited, the car alongside me pulled over as far as he could and I pulled in close to him. But I did not go through a red light much as I REALLY wanted to get well out of the way.

The ambulance stopped its horn and sirens, left just its lights on, and as the squeezed past the passenger thanked me with a smile and thumbs up, so I assume they didn't expect me to run the light!

You can only drive through a red light if a police officer specifically instructs you to do so

The driver was right. A colleague was recently in a situation where he was already stopped at a red light at a junction. An ambulance came up behind him. Due to the layout of the junction, there was literally nowhere for him to go until the lights changed. Didn't stop the ambulance driver putting on the sirens and flashing his lights to try and make him go through the red light. He didn't, and complained to the ambulance service. Ambulance boss said my colleague was right not to move and the ambulance driver shouldn't have been trying to force him.

No. It's against the law and if I am issued a penalty for it that penalty won't be rescinded. Cameras do not exercise discretion. And also as far as the law is concerned a short distance over the stop line that cannot possibly endanger anyone is still running the red light and incurs the full penalty.

A clear instruction from a police officer is a valid legal reason to go through a red light. An emergency vehicle (of any type) with lights and sirens is not.

The only time I've done this was when I was at the front of the queue and could move forward a cars length safely so the ambulance could get past me and the traffic island. But no-one could crash into me so it wasn't a concern.

I used to but then found out you still get the 3 points so no I don't any more. I will move to the side if I can though

Yes that's a very good point about a deaf person or other vulnerable pedestrian who might not hear if an emergency vehicle is coming.

I was feeling a bit bad for not stopping and waving the vehicle through like the two men but seems they were completely in the wrong. This is all good to know as I cross this road a lot and the roadworks are ongoing.

I think it depends where it is. If it's safe I'd expect a car to edge forward so they can move to the side to let the ambulance through.

I would never cross a road when an ambulance is coming!

If an ambulance was trying to pressure me to move I'd assume they know that every second counts for where they're going. I'd rather have three points than wonder if those 30 seconds were 30 seconds too many for a suffocating baby.

I don’t think they ever expect you to run a red light.

I know someone who got 3 points for crossing the line at a red light when an ambulance was trying to get through and it wasn’t a mitigating factor when he appealed.

My friend is a paramedic and she always says her best advice is to concentrate on your own driving, get out of the way if it is safe and legal to do so but leave them to work it out.

They’ve had the training and they’ll do what they need to and the worst bit is trying to anticipate what people will do in an attempt to be helpful