Emergency Vehicles, is this wrong?

[div0]

I kind of get it - as I mentioned above I did a few miles awhile back leapfrogging an ambulance with its blues on but no siren (except a couple of times when they came up quickly behind me) which kept slowing right down or stopping and in some situations it was like "do I overtake or not?!?". This was around 2am so little in the way of other traffic.

I can definitely understand that seeing a vehicle repeatedly slow down and then speed up, might introduce doubts over whether to continue to pass it more than once. But in the OP's scenario, the ambulance passed him then stopped and so he then "overtook" it. Just seems a bit odd to have any question marks around that at all.

Guess the reality maybe just doesn't come through very well on a forum post.

 

[Tr1p]

I can definitely understand that seeing a vehicle repeatedly slow down and then speed up, might introduce doubts over whether to continue to pass it more than once. But in the OP's scenario, the ambulance passed him then stopped and so he then "overtook" it. Just seems a bit odd to have any question marks around that at all.

Guess the reality maybe just doesn't come through very well on a forum post.

What details could be missing?

In 20 years of driving I’ve never experienced where there is an ambulance driving with lights on, stops a few miles ahead for 1 minute or so and then carries on at a higher speed.

This prompted me to mention to a few people who have reacted with dangerous driving. Now I’d agree if the ambulance was moving at the speed limit or more and I then broke the limit to overtake but that isn’t the case.

It was more to asked a wider audience what their thoughts were. You say I may as well asked if it’s ok to overtake a parked car but an ambulance with lights on is slightly different.

I should have said passed rather than overtake as that implied it was still moving.

 

[div0]

What details could be missing?

All I meant was that I don't see anything which even remotely hints at you doing anything "dangerous". I really struggle to understand why there's any doubt in your mind and why anyone might have suggested such a thing to you. That's why I wondered if there was maybe something missing.

You say I may as well asked if it’s ok to overtake a parked car but an ambulance with lights on is slightly different.

I should have said passed rather than overtake as that implied it was still moving.

Are the people who responded with "dangerous driving" trying to say there is some law which means nobody can ever pass a parked ambulance (with lights on)?

 

[Tr1p]

All I meant was that I don't see anything which even remotely hints at you doing anything "dangerous". I really struggle to understand why there's any doubt in your mind and why anyone might have suggested such a thing to you. That's why I wondered if there was maybe something missing.


Are the people who responded with "dangerous driving" trying to say there is some law which means nobody can ever pass a parked ambulance (with lights on)?

I believe they do think there is a law about passing parked emergency vehicles.

In hindsight it’s easy to believe, people will sit behind a buses stopped at bus stops for ages without passing. Emergency vehicles with lights on will be a big no to them.