Moving out of the way of an emergency vehicle

ShiWarrior said:
if you read the highway code (think that's where i read it) the Emergency vehicles are trained, and will move around you, not the other way around, if you moved into the bus lane, instead of the ambulance ? the ambulance could have just gone around you rather you making a quick divert means the driver of the ambulance has to take evasive action
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You'd think so... But i've had a police car right up my **** before flashing me to get out of the way with a completely clear bus lane to my left!
 
Also do the authorities have a list of emergency vehicles reg plates so don’t get tickets for jumping red lights, going above speed, go into bus lanes?
 
I move over or forward if it’s safe to do so, I’ve seen cars mount islands and pavements, yes I realise that they want to get through but this is something that I’d personally not do.
 
cheesefest said:
Also do the authorities have a list of emergency vehicles reg plates so don’t get tickets for jumping red lights, going above speed, go into bus lanes?
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No they still end up with the ticket as if they aren't on blue lights then they're still breaking the law, if they are on a run then the ticket gets cancelled
 
I thought bus lane cameras recorded video. You don't just get a ticket for driving in a bus lane. There are many legitimate reasons to move over which a wide angle video camera would capture.

You are supposed to move back asap though.
 
I drove through a red light with cameras on a few months ago. Was a pedestrian crossing. Just lost my concentration. Stopped for the pedestrian, set off after they'd crossed, looked in my rear view and saw the lights were still red. Doh!

Didn't get a ticket though. I had assumed it's because I hadn't been going fast enough to set off the motion sensor.
 
Merlin5 said:
I was in the right side of lane at these traffic lights today,

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.6...yl2ZNVSl7s8l9wkKQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?hl=en-GB

Lights were red and an ambulance was coming through behind me. When it was right behind me with it's lights flashing and siren blaring, I moved through the red light to allow it through. I thought that was always the done thing. According to this police article, I'm still breaking the law and would have to prove an emergency vehicle needed access as a mitigating circumstance. How would I prove it and am I likely to get fined and 3 points?

https://www.askthe.police.uk/content/Q699.htm
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If the ambulance was sat behind you with blues & sirens whilst being held by the lights then the crew failed to adhere to regulations. If you're held by the lights and unable to LEGALLY move out of the way then they are required to silence the siren and wait, not pressure you into breaking the law.

cheesefest said:
Also do the authorities have a list of emergency vehicles reg plates so don’t get tickets for jumping red lights, going above speed, go into bus lanes?
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It's not done like that because if they're not on an emergency call then they are just a vehicle driver just like me and you. Tickets are still issued. It used to be that the service (police/fire/ambulance) would then have to answer the ticket with proof that the vehicle was on an emergency run.

These days there's a step before the ticket is sent out. The reg flags an emergency vehicle & the photo is reviewed. If a blue light (or light bar) is illuminated then the ticket is cancelled without sending it out. This is why you'll notice a solid blue light on the back of emergency vehicles these days.
 
I used to move over if I could until the last time -Ambulance coming up behind with everything on -twisty road and a layby -so pulled in as far as I could get (big artic owning the layby) Ambulance went past along with loads of others including a big artic who managed to swipe drivers mirror off - I will never move over again unless there is bags of room.
Certainly wouldn't jump lights or be over the speed limit.
 
You're not supposed to break the law to get out of the way.
Didn't we have somebody on here who was on a single lane on a motorway doing 50 when an emergency vehicle came up behind them so they sped up to 70 until they got out of the way and still got fined?
 
Resident said:
These days there's a step before the ticket is sent out. The reg flags an emergency vehicle & the photo is reviewed. If a blue light (or light bar) is illuminated then the ticket is cancelled without sending it out. This is why you'll notice a solid blue light on the back of emergency vehicles these days.
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That's interesting, since the introduction of more 24/7 bus lanes in London recently I see plenty of EMS (actually, pretty sure only police) vehicles in bus lanes without lights & sirens, just saving themselves time. I'm sure if tickets were issued it wouldn't be so prevolent, they seem to do it with impunity.
 
nrh1703 said:
That's interesting, since the introduction of more 24/7 bus lanes in London recently I see plenty of EMS (actually, pretty sure only police) vehicles in bus lanes without lights & sirens, just saving themselves time. I'm sure if tickets were issued it wouldn't be so prevolent, they seem to do it with impunity.
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AFAIK bus lane fines are civil not criminal & controlled by the local council. It is possible that councils in London have agreed to withhold fines for police.
 
SexyGreyFox said:
You're not supposed to break the law to get out of the way.
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Yes but the pressure to move with flashing blue lights behind you is huge. I doubt I would be able to ignore it, but then would be as annoyed as **** to get a ticket for it. There really should be some common sense applied in these situations by the authorities.
 
There's a junction near Strangeways Prison in Manchester I used to live near, you'll often get prison vans being escorted by Police motorbikes, and they will tell you to move the **** out of the way no matter if the light is on red etc. I think for certain high profile individuals they don't want to be stationary for long/at all if possible. I remember one time someone refused to go through the red, the Police officer was banging on the window threatening all sorts until they went through and got out of the way.
 
VaderDSL said:
There's a junction near Strangeways Prison in Manchester, you'll often get prison vans being escorted by Police and the Police will tell you to move the **** out of the way no matter if the light is on red etc. I think for certain high profile individuals they don't want to be stationary for long/at all if possible.
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The police are allowed to direct traffic. They can overrule any existing traffic controls in place.

You are not breaking the law by listening to the police officer.
 
muon said:
The police are allowed to direct traffic. They can overrule any existing traffic controls in place.
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Indeed! I think it catches a lot of people out, well it seemed to catch a lot of people out from the number of times I saw it happen :)
 
muon said:
The police are allowed to direct traffic. They can overrule any existing traffic controls in place.

You are not breaking the law by listening to the police officer.
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Sure but they won't care when you get the automated fine through the post, or have to deal with the hasstle of it.
 
Wouldn't it be great if once or twice a month, say just before/after the evening soap opera's start on BBC1 to hit the maximum amount of people, the Government showed a 30 sec "reminder" video of what the actual, legal rules for driving are i.e -

What to do if you've a blue light vehicle behind you.
How to use a slip road.
What lanes to use on a Motorway.
What the NSL speed is on different roads.
etc

Because far too many people don't seem to be able to remember, or are actively doing something different because "well everyone else does it" etc.
 
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