BM08

Ok was at a major set of lights today(in the middle of a very busy town), its like a crossroads, now theres 3 lanes, 1 for straight on, one for left and the other is for oncoming traffic.

This road is just wide enough for the 3 lanes, you couldnt fit another lane in put it that way.

Theres a fire engine trying to get through and the lights are on red, you literally cant move an inch as theres cars infront, a curb with pedestrians on the left and more cars on the right, and if in lane 2 oncoming cars............ whilst everyone is panicking the fire truck is blaring its horn etc, what do you do? everyone go through the red light risking an accident to let them through?

RichieST

iTrader: (2)

an emergency vehicle is not allowed to force another car through a red light so technically he was in the wrong. Although it is common sense to do as much as you can to legally make a path for the fire engine, he should have either waited or made another way through.

BM08

I was at the front of the que, yellow box junction infront, literally no where to go without jumping the light.

I did stay there and he somehow managed to get through on the other side of the road, so he must have ran into the reflective bendy cones in the road and this old dear bless her came round infront of them on the wrong side aswell, they must have forced her to move, and then when they passed her i could see the guy in the passenger side looking down at her as if to say " you stupid fuck", he looked mega angry she must have been at least 70.

fuzzy

id probably nudge through the red light and pull in at the side enough to let them past.
if your jammed in and cant move then theres not much you can do except hope its not your house on fire.
i would also have expected the oncoming traffic to stop to allow it to pass. they must have seen the big red truck with the flashing blue lights.

RWD_cossie_wil

iTrader: (9)

Pull across the junction carefully or make space, don't just sit there like a lemon!

It's Czech Mate

Trouble is you can still get points n fines etc so really you're caught between decency and the indecency of the law in this situation

RWD_cossie_wil

iTrader: (9)

Yes you can, but be careful & 99.999% of coppers would be sensible, personally I wouldn't want to stop the emergency services getting through.

Paul_RS

iTrader: (4)

If there was a red light camera there and you ran a red to let them through you'd be fucked.

BM08

Yeah thats what i was worried about, theres cameras on the lights aswell.

As i said i couldnt move as if i moved even a few inches id have been over the line and into the box junction.

And anyway suppose i did move then the 10 or so cars behind me would have had to come forward aswell(remember they couldnt go left or right), so it was literally a case of nobody is moving

rd170

think i saw one of those ambulance tv shows and the driver was saying, they'll do the work to get by as long as you can try and pull over, give them more room etc.

Has been at least one occasion where I could not pull over for the flashing blues behind so only option is hit the gas till you find somewhere to pull over safely.

Carlos-Titx

I'll let you know October time. I'm on a blue lights advance driving course for London Fire Brigade

gibbo frst

iTrader: (2)

i am a firefighter in london and in the training we are taught to turn the sirens off if we cant get through to the lights but leave the blues on.. we rarely do turn them off though unless their is a camera on the lights or it could cause an idiot to pull out into heavy traffic.. but in the city people rarely move over for us especially people not from this country. most slam on the anchors and sit in the middle of the road.. or oncomming traffic will not move over for you so you really do have to try to intimidate some other road users into moving as if you dont you would never make it anywhere..

dojj

iTrader: (3)

one of our drivers got done for being in a bus lane, the picture clearly showed the ambulance (or police van, i can't remember as it's been several years now) he let past in the actual picture they sent him
when he wrote back they said that he had to prove that the emergency vehicle was on an emergency call, find the log for the emergency call, send it to them, and then they would decide if it was a matter of leniency or not

his reply was "the next time that fuckers going to die because i'm not doing that again" and i sort of see his point, but i've also known someone who got done for a red light offence for letting a police car through

don't forget, it's not a copper sitting in front of the desk with your picture, it's a pen pusher trying to get some money out of you

congrats

Carlos-Titx

It's not full time or anything Dojj, it's a contract through Securitas to get trained to drive and run the pumps for the strikes.

So much better than when I did the strikes with a green goddess

dojj

iTrader: (3)

free training?
day trips to the big smoke?
whats not t like

PeterRST

iTrader: (1)

I don't know about the UK but here in Germany traffic light cameras are triggered by two seperate induction lines in the ground. One when you enter the junction, the other when you leave it.

If you go over the first one while the lights are red you will get flashed once. However you will only be prosecuted if you trigger the second induction line, causing a second flash.

atm

In some places they have cameras on the box junctions giving you fines for stopping in them so damned if you do damned if you don't!

BM08

Yeah I think the sirens were off, they just had the blues and head lights flashing but he kept honking the horn.

Psycho Warren

iTrader: (5)

if there is no camera then definitely pull forward. Usually the stop line is a good car length from the junction to allow crossings etc.

By pulling forward a car length, it gives the people behind enough room to use full lock to pull over too. If they are clever enough that is.

R5FORD

iTrader: (1)

Only a few days ago a similar situation happend to me where a van was pulled over and me in my lane and a fire truck trying to squeeze through.. I moved over as much as i could.. The van didnt.. The fire truck blaring its horn etc end of the day im not gona damage my wheels getting up a massive kirb. Did what i could.. If they expect more than make a better infrastructre.

gibbo frst

iTrader: (2)

it is crazy the things some people do to try and get out of the way when they panic.. it does differ the way we drive to a shout so say if we are on way to a person shut in lift we still want to get their quick but obviously if its a persons reported fire with multiple calls we hope to not clump peoples mirrors.. and its 70% of the time that they are on the phone driving or texting..
the only people who seem to move over for us are lorry drivers..
by far the worst..... bus drivers.. still think they can pull out without looking even though we are right next to them..

matts zetec s tdci

i hate it when you pull over and let the fire engine/police car past then the twat behind you overtakes you when you are trying to pull back out knowing full well why you had stopped in the first place lol

Rossy43

What about a bit of common sense on everyones part. Ofcourse you move, dont sit there like a divi, but hope the law see our good turn.

dojj

iTrader: (3)

just this morning, empty road, me and one car in front, ambulance coming the other way and the guy in front stops

what for?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

twat!!!!!!!

there was nothing stopping the ambulance going the other way, there were no houses or junctions anywhere near, it was just driving along with the lights not not even a siren, and the guy in front didn't even pull over to the side, he just stopped

Oranoco

I would have always said run the red light safely and position youself so you can be passed and let common sense and decency prevail. Reading this and the stories I'm no longer sure.

Fast Guy

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...-999-pass.html

Rick Astley

Then you 'should' already know if you do intimidate a road user to move and that individual is involved in some kind of collision be it with road furniture or another road user YOU will be liable for such which is why anyone who drives an emergency vehicle is told NOT to push their way through traffic.

BM08

And risk points and a fine? no chance, and im pretty most people would be the same, and someone has already said that they know someone who got done for letting an emergency vehicle through...............

Jimbo.

I had this a few weeks ago, fire engine and ambulance!

All 3 of us at the front went through the red moving to the side, let them on their way, then I just drove off checking it was still clear.

Oranoco

Re-read what I wrote mate I said I would have and followed it up with Reading this and the stories I'm no longer sure

pani_k

iTrader: (1)

Highway code:

219
Emergency and Incident Support vehicles. You should look and listen for ambulances, fire engines, police, doctors or other emergency vehicles using flashing blue, red or green lights and sirens or flashing headlights, or Highways Agency Traffic Officer and Incident Support vehicles using flashing amber lights. When one approaches do not panic. Consider the route of such a vehicle and take appropriate action to let it pass, while complying with all traffic signs. If necessary, pull to the side of the road and stop, but try to avoid stopping before the brow of a hill, a bend or narrow section of road. Do not endanger yourself, other road users or pedestrians and avoid mounting the kerb. Do not brake harshly on approach to a junction or roundabout, as a following vehicle may not have the same view as you.

In other words and as I've repeatedly said on many forums, only attempt to manoeuvre if it is safe to do so. You are required to comply to all traffic signs therefore you SHOULD NOT jump a red light. There is no legal requirement or anything saying you MUST let emergency services through whatever the situation. You should use proper judgement and make sure you are safe, everyone else is and you are not breaking traffic law. So what you done sounds right to me.

Fruit'n'nut

This. Any good emergency services driver will slow down and find a way through/round, in safety.

gibbo frst

iTrader: (2)

yeah well rick you try driving one of them through idiot infested roads and see how far you get pussyfooting around waiting for them to get off their phones or doing the total opposite that they were taught when learning to drive where they should move over not try to match our speed. i guess intimidating other road users is the wrong wording but if i see that they have enough space to move over and me to come through then im going to nicely persuade them to move.. id never expect anyone to mount the kerb or risk a fine as i wouldnt in their situation but far too many people on the roads dont have the sense they were born with..

dojj

iTrader: (3)

i must be blind then as i can't see a police van in that picture

and surely the police van would have triggered the camera too and there would be a picture of that as well to back up the story