To think there shouldn’t be consequences for going through a red light - when it’s to let an emergency vehicle through?

[hayleylauren]

Obviously only if it’s safe to do so.

Of course there should.

There are so many muppets on the road, I wouldn't trust their opinion on whether it's 'safe to do so'.

This is why you get consequences because unfortunately some people would drive through a red when it isn’t safe to do so to let an emergency vehicle out, it would be too hard to gauge every time if someone believed it was safe to do so or not.

I have seen many idiots speed to get in front of an emergency vehicle and I fear if we allow people to go through reds there will be many issues

It is a difficult one, I’ve know emergency vehicles to drive quite aggressively which can lead to cars trying to get out of the way and what’s the alternative care refuse to move until the lights change potentially risking someone’s life.

I’m what scenario has this happened?

I’ve made way for hundreds of ambulances/
police cars over the years but I’ve never had to run a red light to give them way.

I assumed that if you had to pull into a bus lane for example, that you could contest a fine. But haven't had to test that!

My friend was waved into a bus lane by the police to go round a collision and STILL got fined.

Then you get people who don't go through and police do them for obstructing an emergency vehicle. Can't win

Are you sure about that? I thought going through a red light was a strict liability offence.
Do you have any 'evidence' ?

The law is quite clear on this one, going through a red light is an absolute no, and an emergency vehicle should not be sat behind you with sirens going when it's obvious you have nowhere to go

www.secamb.nhs.uk/be-blue-light-aware/

"You should take action to let the emergency vehicle pass, but you must do so safely and legally. If you jump a red light to make space or enter a bus lane or a yellow box junction, you’ll be breaking the law and could be prosecuted.

The best thing to do, if you can and the space allows, is to move to the side of the road and come to a controlled stop. This should be done without putting any other road users or pedestrians at risk or committing any motoring offences."

@Climbingrosexx Not sure London ambulance have read the memo then! I’ve seen cars pull over by going past the red light to let a police vehicle through too.

Oh I have. Stopped at internal roundabout traffic lights, me and another car in the next lane. Two fire engines come behind with lights and sirens. Cars entering the roundabout (forward to my left) stop because they can see the fire engines. Me and the car next to me pull forward and apart so the fire engines can get through between us.

I guess there were no cameras at the lights, because nothing happened.

Interesting to hear it’s illegal, I had to go forwards at a red light once to let a fire engine past but I never had a fine. I wondered if the cameras had caught the engine come speeding through after me and it was obvious why I’d done it.

Not every red light will have a camera. Unless you actually saw one.

Sorry you don’t really need me to describe to you how this can happen right?

I didn’t ask how this can happen, I asked how did it happen.

Don’t start AIBUs if you can’t answer basic questions.

Yesterday, I was waiting at a red traffic light, two lanes both had cars in.
Ambulance had shot up behind the car to my right.
There was plenty of room for the car to pull in front of me , which would have meant that he crossed the red light, but would still have been waiting to move across the road and he wouldn't have been obstructing it in any way.

the ambulance could have carried on to whichever emergency they needed to get to.

Now, as it happens, yesterday, the lights changed at that point and I was able to wait whilst the car to my right pulled in front of me and the ambulance was on their way, but, had the lights just changed to red, they could have been waiting quite a few minutes, which, of course could make a huge difference to the waiting patient.
Then imagine that happening at several sets of lights.

Of course YANBU OP.

"To think there shouldn’t be consequences for going through a red light - when it’s to let an emergency vehicle through?"

If a driver goes through a red light to let an emergency veichle through, they should ALWAYS face the same consequences as if they had done it for any other reason. Emergency veichles have flashing lights and sirens and their drivers are highly trained to drive safely at high speeds even on crowded roads.

The reason I think this are

• An ES driver is trained to do manoeuvrers that a normal driver couldn't do safely - it's far safer for everyone if we leave making those jugdements to those drivers.
• ES vehicles have those lights and sirens to warn people about what they are going to do. It's far safer that people with those warning beacons do the weird stuff.
• Thinking "If I don't move someone might die" is a huge pressure to move. For some drivers, that pressure would majorly cloud their judgement of what is safe. Not being allowed to do illegal moves at all, relieves some of this pressure, and makes it less likely people will do totally stupid things.
• As my paramedic cousin once said, if she is attending a legitimate 999 call and someone does an actually stupid move and causes an accident, she then has to stop and make sure everyone's ok and sort them out if they aren't. By the time she's got back up to go to the original incident, or sorted out the first mess and gone herself, the original patient is much more likely to be dead than if she'd just waited for 2 minutes at the lights or whatever!

I saw this happen the other day, not in London. Ambulance with blue siren up, stopped right behind a car waiting at a red light in the lane to my right. Car ended up pulling into the right turn only lane (on its right), driving straight over the junction and stopping in front of the traffic lights opposite while the ambulance went past. It then had to do a manoeuvre to rejoin traffic.

I did wonder what I would have done and if my instinct would have been wrong

When there’s a big crossroads so I can move forward over the line but not actually in the path of any other traffic I would absolutely “jump” a red light (and come to an immediate stop). If that cost me a fine then so be it. I’d rather have the fine than be the reason an ambulance / police car / fire engine didn’t get somewhere in time.

I find it horrifying that people are supposed to obstruct a fire engine for perhaps a whole minute. It could have terrible consequences.

I have. your at T junction up to the line. There is no space to reverse because there is a vehicle behind up your arse ( in my case a ambulance) so if your 1 foot from.the line it's impossible to pull to the side without going over the line. Unless it's a smart car then thats metres of car metres over the line. I went through/ over the line but didn't need to enter the road I pulled out on. But sometimes that's not feasible because you can not see the light then turn green if it's behind you. I didn't realise it was illegal until recently and I wouldn't do it again now I know. On balance it was safe as I never pulled into the road I was joining. But I'd not do it again.

Emergency Services drivers are taught to turn off lights and sirens if there is no safe route through. A red light is not safe or legal for a normal driver to cross. If an Emergency Services driver causes an accident when crossing a red light, they may be prosecuted.

Drivers must follow the rules of the road. Stop at red lights. If there is a safe way around the traffic, even if it involves going around a traffic island or on to the other side of the carriageway, they will find it. If there isn't, they will wait.

Everyone is safer, including the patient, when ambulances get to their destination without a RTC. If they are involved in an RTC, even as witnesses, they have to stop, then the patient has to wait for another crew to be dispatched.

I’ve had times where I’ve been at the front of the line of traffic at a red light and an emergency vehicle is behind me flashing and blaring and the only way to get out of the way is to go through the red light into the intersection space and pull over to the side by driving in front of the car next to me.

you are not supposed to do this but yes, in an instance like this it’s a conundrum

This whole argument is basically ‘it’s never happened to me so it can’t happen.’ That’s not logic, that’s ignorance dressed up as confidence.