Well, serious question. IN my above confession, what if the ambulance had been, say, ten cars behind me in the left-turn lane at a busy intersection–and furthermore, what if I’d not had the light? I’m assuming that I should hold still in such a circumstance (since I’m prevent from pulling over by the wall of cars to my right). And if I had the light, I’m assuming that I should go ahead and make my left turn and then pull over to the right. Is this correct?
Daniel
This situation sort of happened to me last night. Everybody held still, while the fire trucks went around in the oncoming lanes, which were empty because of the light. If the oncoming lanes were packed too, then I’d make the turn to get out of the way.
I went to traffic school many years ago to get out of a speeding ticket, and the officer advised us that if we were at a red with a emergency vehicle behind us, we should proceed with caution through the intersection. That doesn’t work well in rush hour Denver. Most of the time, it’s best for everyone to hold still and let the vehicle work its own way through.
Really? That’s not my understanding of the law. It also goes contrary to all the emergency driving instruction I’ve had here. Unfortunately, I can’t find a definitive cite from either the Revised Statutes or the DMV.
That said, we’ve been trained that we cannot force someone through a red light. In fact, our standard procedure if we get to a red light we cannot clear due to traffic (and we can’t go into the oncoming lanes) we are required to shut down our lights and siren and wait until it’s safe to proceed. It also scares the living crap out of me when people decide to blow a red light when we’re approaching. My advice- if you’re at a red light and we’re approaching stay put! Let us get around you.
It was ~1980 in Washington, D.C. I’m certainly open to being re-educated. Thanks!
FTR, yes, it was perfectyl safe for him to pull over. It was a smal side street with plenty of space nect to the curb, since the street has a parking lane.
I’ve seen it all my life, too. this was by no means the first guy. (I guess the Emperor of the World has a big family/) It annoyed me before, when I wasn’t an emergency service person, and it annoys me even more now. I really want to know what is gonig through these people’s heads. I know several will say they didn’t see the lights…but what about the freakin siren and blasyign air horn? My God, if your music, or cell phone, or whateer is so loud you cannot hear us, then you shuold not be on the road.
FWIW, we were behindf this guy for a few tenths of a mile, before we turned off the street onto a different one. And the guy we picked up almsot certainly didn’t have a heart attack (called in as chest pains, possible heart attack, though.00) Our defib had him with a good QRS, and he said the paion was gone when we got there. But we still took him to the ER, because he wanted to, and I’m pretty sure he’s alright. Everyone gets random pains every now and then, but I certainly understand calling 911 when it’s possibly something more serious.
Yesterady was actually a busy day. Five EMS calls (I went to three of them) and a fire alarm activation, during one of the EMS calls. Luckily, that was a false alarm.
I want to second this one, and reiterate how important it is. Remember, lights and sirens give me the right to violate traffic laws with due regard for the public, not you. If you get into an accident going through a red signal light because you saw an ambulance a block back, its all on you. If an ambulance tries to push you through a red light, give ‘em the bird and wait for the green signal to move out of the way. If you see an emergency vehicle behind you while driving, pull to the right and stop. And please do stop, that’s important too. It should be noted that a nominal amount of common sense is needed with this (EG, don’t stop in the middle of an intersection when pulling to the right))
If you are stopped at a red signal, stay put. I will find my way around you. Now where it gets a little tricky, and again common sense is needed, is if your light turns green. If all the lanes on your side of the road are blocked with traffic, and your light turns green, proceed through the light and pull to the right as soon as possible. If your signal light turns green, but any of the lanes on your side of the road are clear, then stay put and let me pass. I’ll move into the open lane.
I’ve been working up to a rant on this very subject…I don’t work on any emergency vehicle, but there is something I observe a lot that really bugs me.
Some drivers don’t like being “told” what to do. So they won’t just automatically pull over for the emergency vehicle, or stop for the schoolbus with the red lights flashing. They want to decide for themselves whether it’s necessary for them to pull over or stop. “Oh, the ambulance has enough room to get by. I won’t pull over.” No, I don’t have telepathy. This is based on many comments I’ve heard and a hell of a lot of observation.
I live on a very busy main road. It’s one lane in either direction, but there is room for two car widths on each side. There is also no on-street parking. There normally is enough room (barely) for an ambulance to get through without anyone pulling over.
But why should the ambulance navigate through a narrow slot of unpredictably moving cars, when everybody could just pull over to the right of their side of the road, and stop. That leaves a nice wide path for the ambulance. But no, some jackass usually decides that the ambulance has more than enough room, and he’s going to use some for himself! :smack: :rolleyes: :smack:
Here’s the scenario There is a fairly steady stream of cars heading in either direction. A siren is heard, and everybody pulls over and stops. And ambulance appears heading south, speeding down the right-ish side of the nice open middle. Invariably, one guy heading northbound keeps rolling down the road, past the stopped cars, carefully avoiding eye contact with the driver of the ambulance, who now has to deal with this apparently erratic driver, taking up half the remaining road. The jerk pulls into the Dunkin’ Donuts, where some suburban matron snaps “why didn’t you pull over for that ambulance?” The jerk says “He had room.”
Yeah, he “had room,” but if you were the one lying in the back of that ambulance, wouldn’t you like it if the ambulance had plenty of room?
The cops around here take a very hard line with regard to people stopping when the schoolbus has its red lights flashing. I know two people who have gotten MASSIVE tickets for not stopping quick enough. They swear they didn’t do it, and I trust that they genuinely thought that they were in the clear. The cops may even be somewhat overzealous on this issue, but the word has gotten out–Don’t fuck with the schoolbus.
They ought to do this with regard to emergency vehicles. Since they’re not scheduled, it would be impossible to set up a regular schedule of enforcement, and it would be unacceptably risky to run a fake emergency vehicle just to catch offenders. But maybe, if an extra cruiser or two is at the scene of the emergency, and they’re not needed immediately elsewhere, and the ambulance is going to be going with lights and sirens, they could follow it and nab some offenders. (I don’t know if this would be feasible in practice–just an idea.)
What I have seen work well is you pull as hard right as possible and proceed the foot and a half that is possible before you get too close to the other car. He sees you (maybe a short bit of horn is necessary) and he pulls to his right. The two of you make enough room for the ambulance to pass. I am none too find of this area for several reasons, but the few times I have seen an ambulance try to get by they have had no trouble.
When he couldn’t pull over - like when there’s an uncovered storm drain by the side of the road. Or the edge is shadowed so he can’t see and is thus waiting until there’s adequate visibility. Or perhaps there are children milling around. Or perhaps he’s taking his sick child to the doctor or hospital.
Now in 99.99% of cases, this won’t apply, but just occasionally it will.
Unless he himself was responding to an emergency, then this guy has no excuse.
Then he is already as far right as practicable, and should just stop.
Come to downtown Baltimore. Last week I was waiting at a light while walking to the Metro station. As the light changed, a fire truck came blazing down the cross street with sirens wailing, horn blowing and lights flashing. Some guy came up from behind me and proceded to walk–walk–through the intersection in front of the fire truck. I wish I could say I’ve only seen that once, but that’s not the case.
I have to say that one of the happiest ambulance stories I’ve ever had the privilege to witness was a snowy evening in 1995 on my way to work.
I was going up the freeway towards my job, and noticed an ambulance on a run in my rear view mirror. It was about a mile back and going like the hammers of hell.
I also noticed that everyone was moving out of the way of the flashing lights, except one ass in a teal sports car.
Needless to say, I also moved out of the way.
The jerk in the teal car decided to use the “free space” to play. He sped up so that he was just in front of the ambulance, and proceeded to lead it down the freeway.
Just as the ambulance passed me, it turned right to exit the freeway. Directly behind the ambulance, keeping pace with it, was a MN state trooper.
The ambulance turned, the trooper’s lights came on, and the asshole in the sports car got pulled over.
When I went home that night (5 hours later), his car was still on the side of the road. No idea what else he did, but I’m betting he got arrested.
And I did the happy dance all the way home.
Eli
That…is AWESOME!
HHHow far we pedestrians haveve travelled . I say how far my brothers. can I get a guccchhha. we love walking on a green happy and joyful man. he aint doin…no harm…No harm…canna getah … a green man…little ol grumpy man on his …cell phone…he anoying people on his cell phone.
Enough … If you dont care. You are responsible for a vehicle that will flatten ahuman being be feking responsible to hole a fecking licence
Just curious about wwhether I did the right thing in this instance: I was on a busy street, one lane in each direction, but the street is wide enough for cars to pass you if you’re making a turn. I was all the way to the left, waiting to make a left turn, and the ambulance was coming up behind me. If I moved and pulled over to the right, I would have driven in front of the ambulance, so I stayed put right where I was at the far left, and the ambulance passed me on the right. It worried me a little (I’m a fairly new driver–at 41 years old, I’ve been driving less than 2 years), but it thought it was okay because I was (1) stopped, and (2) over to the left far enough for the ambulance to easily pass me. So was that okay, or was I being a jerk by not moving to the right?
WOW - While this makes sense, it still worries me. Sorta like the guy who’s been struck by lightning multiple times, I’ve been “pushed” through a red light by emergency vehicles a grand total of six times in my life. Each time I was able to get the attention of cross traffic by inching my way out with my lights flashing and my hand firmly on the horn. I could tell as I moved into the intersection that the cross traffic drivers were very pissed - untill they too saw the ambulance coming across. I gotta tell you if it happens again I’m going to do the same thing as before. I want to give that poor soul on the ambulance gurney every chance in the world to survive.
** Ceejaytee:** I would say that if you’re stopped at an intersection you can’t go wrong by staying stopped.
Bubba: I appreciate where your coming from. That said, I think we’re better off waiting a few extra seconds and making sure that everyone (including you) is as safe as possible. This is one situation where the Opticom comes in handy. Now I can just shut down the siren and all the lights but the Opticom, wait for it to trip the light (however much time it takes to cycle the opposite directions to red) then proceed through when everyone gets the green on my side.
The hell?
Shhh, everyone else was ignoring that.