Damned if you do --------
 

Most drivers have been in the situation, - - You are sitting at a red light and hear the sirens going behind you! It could be an ambulance, police or a fire appliance on its way to an emergency.

Cars scatter, driving up kerbs or squeezing into narrow gaps so that the emergency vehicle can get past. You are on the "line" and the only alternative for you is to drive into the centre of the junction to get out of the way- - - OR IS IT?

Mark Freeman thought so but was captured by a camera driving through a red light - - and rceived a £60-00 fine through the post.

He went to court 3 times in an attempt to explain but still had to pay the £60-00 plus £35-00 costs plus 3 points on his licence - - and loss of wages totalling £300-00 due to his court appearances!

Kevin Delaneyof the RAC Foundation said " The law is inequivocal and we regretfully would advise any motorist not to go through a red light to allow an emergency vehicle to pass, There should be an exemption on the law to deal with this or some discretion exercised by the courts, but sadly this does not happen."

A spokesman for UNISON, the ambulance drivers union said "I'm sure Mr. Freeman thought he was doing the right thing but drivers are trained for these circumstances and he should have stopped at the lights"


So the moral of this tale is to refuse to assist the emergency services if it means breaking the law in your vehicle- -unless you can affort a fine and points!

Re: Damned if you do --------
 

perhaps when enough people die on their way to hospital they will do somthing

untill then dont move an inch if your at the lights and hope the person inside the ambulance makes it

Re: Damned if you do --------
 

i,m glad thats been posted,i certainly will NOT be moving for them in those circumstances,cheers busman

Re: Damned if you do --------
 

It seems silly doesn't it. I think we aren't too bad round here for traffic light cameras.

Ian

Re: Damned if you do --------
 

The problem is if you dont move out of the way you'll probably get fined for obstruction!

Re: Damned if you do --------
 

Re: Damned if you do --------
 

Interesting post Busman but if it came to it were the emergency services wanted to pass me at traffic lights I would just use my common sense and if it that meant crossing the line at the lights that's what I will be doing. The blues and sirens means it's serious they don't just put they on when they're rushing back for lunch and my concience wouldn't allow me to obstruct them :( sorry it's just the way I feel

Re: Damned if you do --------
 

catch 22,,you are definately dammed either way..
i,m glad i dont drive ,,

Re: Damned if you do --------
 

It's crazy when even the emergency services themselves say you shouldn't do it.


I'd like to see what would happen at a junction where there are metal barriers where the ambulance quite simply wouldn't be able to get past no matter how well trained they are for "such circumstances".

Obviously you couldn't be done for obstruction unless there's a chnage in the law because the law states that you must not cross that line no matter what.

Re: Damned if you do --------
 

It’s a 50/50 situation to my mind. If it’s necessary for me to cross the line to allow an emergency vehicle to pass then so be it. It should be possible to move over slightly and safely without entering in to a junction proper. That said Busman in a crate the size of your it’s going to be difficult. Yesterday evening I had to pull over on Blackburn Road to let an Ambulance through I didn’t hesitate as soon as it was safe to do so; I pull up on the pavement to get out of its way. Other drives behind me pull into Junctions and one car pulled right into the opposite lane. The two vehicles in front floored it to get round the Antley roundabout before the Ambulance got to them. In respect of this chap who was fined, it’s a poor do when responsible drivers are penalised for doing what he believe to be the right thing in an emergency.

Re: Damned if you do --------
 

As one of the Emergency Services I would like to thank all of the comments made so far on this thread and can say that IF YOU[B] feel that to go over the line at lights is unsafe or dangerious then we will have to wait for the lights to change then we can proceed.

If that happens we have "to turn off the siren and sit there with blues on" until it is safe for us to pass other road users.

While it is great to see that Doug has pulled over and the others road users did what they did (not too sure if I was driving then) that happens quite a lot where a car 3 or 4 in front know we're coming but the cars behind haven't seen or heard us and try to overtake the car that is stopping/slowing down.

That can cause us to brake hard!!!!!

Whenever I am driving under emergency coditions I always use my siren I am well known through the Ambulance Service for using them.

So if you hear the sirens tonight in and around Accrington it could well be me.

In the early hours of the morning we tend NOT to use them but if we have to we are allowed to.

The vast majority of times that sirens are used is going to a call (no patients on board both crew in front) but there are times when we will have some very ill and then "B&2" to hospital.

Thanks again for all of the careful and considert drivers and plaese note that if you can give us that extra inch when we're under Emergency conditions IT DOES HELP.

Bernard