Driving through red lights for emergency vehicles

[liketheredsea]

I work near a hospital and a police station, so probably see more of this than most people.

There is a junction that connects the main roads, and it’s probably a daily occurrence now that I see people driving through the lights to let emergency vehicles with their sirens on through.

AIBU to think this is incredibly stupid?! I remember that one of the first things my driving instructor taught me was that you don’t do anything illegal to let an emergency vehicle through. But I see it every day!

@Lammpa just google it

And think logically about how broke the country is & how many drivers go through red lights without an ambulance behind them!

“Less than 1.5% of traffic lights across the UK are monitored by red light cameras, according to a recent investigation by Sky News”

There’s a fire station and ambulance station near enough side by side near me so they’re often scooting about.

theres a dual carriageway they often have to go through and put pressure on drivers to jump the lights if at a standstill. In the past I wouldn’t have minded and crept through a bit if I was first in line but now those lights have had a camera fitted

it’s horrible to see people now just sitting tight while being tooted at by others to go through whenever a fire engine or ambulance wants through

I’m a blue light driver and just wanted to clarify a few points.

Bus Lanes - whether emergency vehicles can use them varies by area - some councils will fine emergency vehicle too if they go into them. I wouldn’t advise any motorist to cross into a bus lane to make space for emergency vehicles.

Traffic Lights - we are trained not to do anything that would encourage other motorists to break the law. If I approach traffic lights on red that are blocked by waiting cars, I will turn the sirens off. Cars often do still move, and if a gap opens up I will proceed, but we don’t expect cars to move at a red light and I would encourage you not to.

If we cause an accident whilst driving with lights and sirens on, even if it is an extremely minor bump between other vehicles and not us, we must stop. By breaking the law or undertaking a dangerous manoeuvre to let me pass, you risk delaying me far more than I would have been just waiting for the lights to change. The chances of someone dying because an emergency vehicle had to wait 30 seconds for lights to change are slim to none.

I never said I didn’t believe you. I just said I must live in an unusual area. Because I drive past 2 different sets daily and used to live with one set almost outside my house you get used to seeing them. If the rest of the country isn’t like that then fine. I never claimed it was. Just that I see them daily. And the rules are still that you will get fined if you get caught even if there isn’t many.

It's not legal to go over a red light. You are not even supposed to go on the curb to move out of the way. Of course you want people to be considerate and do whatever they legally can to let an emergency vehicle pass but you can't risk injuring anyone else in the process.

Thanks for sharing!!

I doubt anyone is going to be prosecuted merely for moving out of the way,

If they break a red light then then they can - and have been. prosecuted.

You’re not allowed to go through a red light to make way for an emergency vehicle, you still follow the law. You can move slightly to the left, or stop to let them pass, but you never make manoeuvres that are illegal. If you went through a red light and caused a crash, that ambulance then has to stop for you instead. There goes whoever’s having a heart attack.

I have previously read (on another MN thread) that the same mechanism is used to control the siren and the horn and sometimes in switching off the siren at traffic lights - as they usually do - it's possible to sound the horn by accident. So to be charitable perhaps the driver wasn't intentionally beeping you?

My understanding has always been if you are safely able to pull over then okay, do so, but don’t do anything illegal like crossing a red light (you won’t get out of it using the reason you were doing so for an ambulance etc), and let the emergency services who are best placed to do so navigate any red lights etc - they are allowed and greater trained to manage any possible hazards and conditions around this and obviously legally are able to with blue lights on.

This is true - the sirens are controlled by the horn - one press of the “horn” to change through the different tones and a double press to turn the sirens off (lights will remain on as they are controlled by a little panel of buttons). The sound of the horn is still audible even when the sirens are on.

In some of our older vehicles the sirens can become temperamental…

Thanks for confirming. Your posts have been really helpful in clarifying how to behave in these situations

At least one person has been prosecuted for passing a red light to let an ambulance through. I saw fuss about it, dont remember the outcome. I wouldnt do it if there was a visible camera.

Some emergency service vehicle driving is appalling. I was on a motorway slip road last weekend, exiting the motorway and just about driven off the road by a car ambulance service vehicle that shot across all the lanes of the motorway and onto the slip road and cut me up. To attend the very sad situation of a person that was already deceased.

I can’t believe people are still arguing about this 😂 who needs common sense when there are rOoLz…

It pops up from time to time. Especially if it's a media friendly story with a photogenic sad face.

I mean if people are happy to parade their ignorance then it seems a little mean to stop them. But that doesn't change the law.

Courts have repeatedly noted that if parliament intended for drivers to have a defence for contravening the Road Traffic Act, then it would have been written into the law. However (despite that dense political claims to the contrary) courts do not make the law. They just enforce it.

Because everyone has a different view? I wouldn’t go through a red light. Someone else might

A court of law probably is not the best place to explore differences of opinion.

Well no, but no matter how many times it’s said on this thread, people have said they will still go through red lights. But I don’t think they can judge people who don’t because they’re following the law
personally I wouldn’t because I can’t afford to lose my job over a fine/points

I’m guessing you dont drive in London. Sometimes the only way an ambulance is getting past stationary traffic at rush hour is for cars to edge into bus lanes. Bus lanes either have buses stopped in them to let passengers out, or parked cars in them.

But you still don't move into a bus lane.

No,if there is room in the bus lane let the ambulance use it.

Not just London. I presume this is the same in most Cities - it certainly is in ours.