Ambulance etiquette

[gRoberts]

What I've done before now is overtaken an ambulance and fire engine (both times, I was only doing 70mph), then when there was a roundabout coming up, I've pulled across it to stop traffic.

Foolish or not, up to you, but both times the emergency services have given a grateful toot/ thumbs up.

There's a reason they've got bright colour schemes, flashing lights and loud sirens mate. Driver on the roundabout is distracted by the approaching carnival, you pull onto the roundabout, crash bang wallop, your fault! Mr plod and the insurance wouldn't give a crap that you were trying to help . Best bet is to get out of their way then leave them to it!

Are you sure? The person joining the roundabout should have checked it was clear prior to "joining" the roundabout. So if you were literally to join a roundabout and an emergency vehicle came, you should stop, whether you are on a roundabout or not?

I might be wrong in my logic but heh.

[sirwiggum]

What I've done before now is overtaken an ambulance and fire engine (both times, I was only doing 70mph), then when there was a roundabout coming up, I've pulled across it to stop traffic.

Foolish or not, up to you, but both times the emergency services have given a grateful toot/ thumbs up.

There's a reason they've got bright colour schemes, flashing lights and loud sirens mate. Driver on the roundabout is distracted by the approaching carnival, you pull onto the roundabout, crash bang wallop, your fault! Mr plod and the insurance wouldn't give a crap that you were trying to help . Best bet is to get out of their way then leave them to it!

Are you sure? The person joining the roundabout should have checked it was clear prior to "joining" the roundabout. So if you were literally to join a roundabout and an emergency vehicle came, you should stop, whether you are on a roundabout or not?

I might be wrong in my logic but heh.

I had a large roundabout in my mind, like Sandyknowes or one of the ones with a forest in the middle, where traffic one one side is totally oblivious to traffic on the other.

If it was a mini-Roundabout, then yes traffic should not even enter if an ambulance is on the way!

[DaiRees]

Sorry lads but we're getting distracted here by how to drive 'round a roundabout which isn't really the point. The point is that Neil is using his car as a mobile roadblock by stopping it in a potentially dangerous place to halt the progress of other road users, obviously none of us know the exact circumstances but to my mind that's putting way too much faith in other drivers and I imagine that despite his good intentions it could actually result in an accident for which he would take the blame.

"Ooooh there's an ambulance coming up the road on the left, it's 100yds away, I'm going straight on so the best thing I can do is clear the roundabout and get well out of it's way before it gets here, OH $&#* where did that very pretty french/italian car come from, crunch, ouch..... ambulance???"

If you pull onto a roundabout or out of a junction into the path of another vehicle which then hits you it's your fault, regardless of whether you were trying to clear the way for an approaching emergency vehicle. Let's face it, if you have a licence you should know how to act appropriately in the presence of an emergency vehicle but we've already proved in this thread that there are drivers out there who can't see a brightly coloured ambulance with the blues and twos on, what chance have you got in an ordinary car?

Look after number 1, get out of the EV's way as swiftly and safely as possible and trust everyone else to do the same.

Not having a dig Neil, I applaud your intentions but should it all go wrong I'd hate to see you injured, prosecuted, car less or out of pocket

[gRoberts]

lol I knew i'd start something.

[Doggy]

briskly

Now now doggy, it was a beautiful post until you started exaggerating unnecessarily......

Come on doggy , given the state of your motah will it reach Briskly speeds

Pub.

[swiss]

Strangest thing happened today on the way out of Gosport. Was at a red light, two cars back from the line. It turned red and I began to roll when I heard a siren. Looked around, saw the lights coming up behind me so I decided the best thing was to stop and let them past the island before I blocked it.

Two uniformed coppers went past in a big flash BMW. They pulled up in the middle of the junction and stuck their hands out in a 'stop' motion. I stayed put, not knowing if there had been an accident or they intended to set up a road block or something else. Next thing a bloody great copper 4x4 goes past, followed by a battered old olive green Defender and another cop 4x4. They form up behind the BMW and the whole lot move off - at a steady 30mph.

I eventually pulled away and followed them for a bit, they repeated their trick of clearing the traffic and then driving at 30. After a while I lost sight of them in the traffic.

Any coppers/folks with an unhealthy interest in those police chase shows able to shed any light?

[steve_earwig]

Late for tea?

[mandelbug]

Olive Green Defender could be Army? Maybe bomb disposal? Sounds like the BMW was a traffic unit doing what they should (i.e. direct traffic) to get the following convoy through red lights

[steve_earwig]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/engl ... 655336.stm

[swiss]

Wrong part of Hampshire. And why would anyone want to blow up Portsmouth? I mean I know it's Portsmouth but bombing still seems a little extreme...

[EDIT] Ah, OK, sussed what it was

[steve_earwig]

Wrong part of Hampshire.

Now I'm confused

Gosport

Southsea

Google maps says they're about 15 miles apart. Or was the Mystery Green Machine heading the other way?

[swiss]

Yes, but unless they took to alleged bomb over on the passenger ferry, Gosport'd be a huge diversion out of their way 15 miles, but at least 30 minutes drive even with the nee-naws on. And they were going away from Collingwood and Sultan so they weren't using either of those as a disposal felicity.

[steve_earwig]

Ok, just a coincidence then

Btw who's Felicity?

[swiss]

Felicity.

Now thoroughly off-topic, my work here is done ^_^