[Closed] emergency vehicles in traffic jams

Sorry about that. Was in a rush to get to Tewkesbury.

why are you driving towards alfreton then?

😆

Dont tell me there's another aresole in a Bentley?

perhaps they were related to the person in the ambulance? perhaps it was a Doctor - they all drive Bentleys these days don't they?

it was a fire engine - crash has just happened. I've seen about 8 police cars, 2 fire engines and 4 ambulances go past. I'm currently parked on the central reservation.

it was a fire engine

Lawyer then?

Lawyer then

I have reported drivers to the police for this, not sure what the outcome was tho.

not sure what the outcome was tho.

Nothing I'd imagine.

It would often be easy to follow an emergency vehicle down a motorway or A road without actually breaking any road laws.

illegal to follow one?

Pass but I don't see how it is as long as you're not breaking any other laws such as speeding, going through red lights n stuff.

Can’t see how you could be breaking a law just by following an emergency vehicle - after all, haven’t we all pulled in to let one by then pull back out again once they have passed? Then we are doing the same thing 'technically'.

I've done it more then once on the motorbike. In fact once I had to restrain myself to stay behind! I thought it was just polite and sensible to follow rather than pass... But he was in my way... 🙂

I think the op means when you follow it through all the traffic that has pulled over to allow its passage.My mate did it once and got pulled by a cop directing traffic

Well, there's hanging 6 feet off the vehicle's bumper and screaming along in their wake.

Then there's arriving at a line of traffic all scrunched into the inside lane, continuing past, and realising you're catching up to some blue lights.

Then there's everything in between.

illegal to follow one?

This is quite an old blog, but apparently if you're tailgating it counts as impeding an emergency vehicle since they have to slow down to make sure there's a safe braking gap behind them:
http://www.tomreynolds.net/?p=1399

I think the op means when you follow it through all the traffic that has pulled over to allow its passage.

Yep, exactly that. It was rude not to. I would have been filtering [i]anyway[/i], so it doesn't really count 🙂

this guy was on the bumper of the engine as all the queuing traffic was up on the verges.

And he was stopped. Being talked to sternly by an officer when I went past.

I followed an ambulance on the way to Inners one day.

I let it passed just as I was leaving Peebles and then just followed it.

It was only doing about seventy down the straights so I could easily keep up and once we got the twistier section just before Inners it was holding me up a fair bit.

Other traffic moved out its way and I just stayed behind the ambulance.

I didn't really see an issue with this - they were moving out the way to let the ambulance passed anyway. If the ambulance hadn't been in front of me I would have just overtaken the slower traffic anyway.

Exact same thing happened with another ambulance on the way home from Fort Bill, I let it passed just as I left Glencoe village and then just followed it all the way to Bridge of Orchy - he was going a bit quicker but there were more corners through Glencoe for me to catch back up.

Blatantly speeding to keep up is obviously breaking the law. Following an emergency vehicle that travelling around the speed limit I can't see the problem.

Other than jealousy of course which tends to be the main emotion that's involved in road disputes

EDIT - Although neither of these involved traffic jams - rather quiet NSL A roads

queuing traffic was up on the verges.

This changes it for me, if he's blasting past as others are waiting to pull back out then to me that's dangerous driving.

Its a bit cheeky, but it doesnt half speed up your journey. Had the good fortune to be able to do this into Glasgow years ago, it was like moses parting the sea. 😆
Not sure I'd try nowadays though.
I did have to get to hospital quickly once as dad got carted off in an ambulance with mother accompanying him. Said I'll take the car and see you there, I got there 5 mins before the ambulance did. 😳

Cheeky and you need to be careful that the drivers who move over don't just pull straight back on. Done it many times, but only on a M/C. And you need to be careful at traffic lights.

this guy was on the bumper of the engine as all the queuing traffic was up on the verges.

Nahh, I wouldn't even joke about that. Obviously a cock.

Other traffic moved out its way and I just stayed behind the ambulance.

I didn't really see an issue with this - they were moving out the way to let the ambulance passed anyway. If the ambulance hadn't been in front of me I would have just overtaken the slower traffic anyway.

Dunno if it's against the law, but certainly not being courteous to those who have also moved out the way to let an emergency vehicle by, would there be owt wrong with letting them back in?

richmtb:

It was only doing about seventy down the straights so I could easily keep up (EDIT) Blatantly speeding to keep up is obviously breaking the law.

Mmmmmm??

it was a fire engine - crash has just happened. I've seen about 8 police cars, 2 fire engines and 4 ambulances go past. I'm currently parked on the central reservation.

Is it not illegal to use your Phone/Laptop/iPad/tablet while in a car on the road, even when waiting in traffic ? 🙂

(Unless when you said [b]"I'm Currently Parked"[/b] you mean [b]"We"[/b] and you are not the driver ?)

Was told definitely not to do this by a Paramedic when Mrs Cat went into Sheff in an ambulance with lights and sirens on. He may have figured I was a little shocked/panicking about his patient so not likely to be 100% focused. As it was the roads were so choked and he slowed down for every pothole we were able to keep up.

This is quite an old blog, but apparently if you're tailgating it counts as impeding an emergency vehicle since they have to slow down to make sure there's a safe braking gap behind them:

How does their speed affect the gap between them and the following vehicle? Surely if it's yer average knobber that thinks a 6 ft gap is good at NSL, then slowing down to (e.g) 30mph will see them drop that gap to a still very unsafe 3ft?

Driving ambulances, this is a pet hate of mine. its dangerous and inconsiderate. I've had an expectant dad do exactly this, even though he was explicitly asked not to. Ah well, I'm sure he'll never have to check his license to remember the date he got the three points when we took the route with the active speed camera...

then slowing down to (e.g) 30mph will see them drop that gap to a still very unsafe 3ft?

Driving ambulances, this is a pet hate of mine. its dangerous and inconsiderate. I've had an expectant dad do exactly this, even though he was explicitly asked not to. Ah well, I'm sure he'll never have to check his license to remember the date he got the three points when we took the route with the active speed camera...

Gotta LOL at that though! 😆

Woulda thought its pretty dangerous esp for a motorbike. Everyone's going to be looking at the flashing loud shiny thing that just passed, not the minnow in its wake.

Was the Bentley being driven by this man?!

[img] [/img]

Wonder if anyone can confirm, but aren't Fire Engines limited to 60 mph ?

I remember a while ago doing 70 mph on the Motorway and catching one up that was on blues and it felt awkward to pass it, even though I wasn't speeding.

I chickened out and reduced my speed to stay behind it, but just wondered if anyone knows if its illegal to overtake a emergency vehicle in these circumstances when you can go faster than it without breaking the speed limit ?

Woulda thought its pretty dangerous esp for a motorbike. Everyone's going to be looking at the flashing loud shiny thing that just passed, not the minnow in its wake.

This, when running in convoy, all with lights and sirens going, you quite often get people who pull out after the first car goes through not noticing the following car(s)

Woulda thought its pretty dangerous esp for a motorbike. Everyone's going to be looking at the flashing loud shiny thing that just passed, not the minnow in its wake.

Exactly. And the only way of minimising that particular risk is to tailgate the emergency vehicle, which brings its own risks. Like the knobber in a Ka who walloped straight into the back of an ambulance in my area the other day, before driving off without stopping...

Wonder if anyone can confirm, but aren't Fire Engines limited to 60 mph ?

Have followed behind the cops as they've went ahead to clear a path for us through traffic but tbh a lot of folk see the first vehicle go through and usually don't check to see if there's another following- same would go for anyone trying to be cheeky and do the same, only they won't have lights and horns so the risk is higher?
Have seem the motorbike cops doing their rollong roadblock thing when there's a few of them going ahead and stopping traffic at junctions to let us straight through. Amazing to watch close up and very scary at the same time. Fair play to them!

TuckerUK - Member

How does their speed affect the gap between them and the following vehicle? Surely if it's yer average knobber that thinks a 6 ft gap is good at NSL, then slowing down to (e.g) 30mph will see them drop that gap to a still very unsafe 3ft?

If you are tailgated, the only course of action is to gently reduce speed so that you both can stop in the distance you can see is (and reasonably expect to remain) clear ahead of you.
If the tailgater reduces the gap, keep reducing your speed.

To those thinking of overtaking an emergency vehicle (within the speed limit of course), what happens when, further down the road, you get stuck in traffic & the previously overtaken emergency vehicle catches you up & has to spend precious time manouvering around you?

Better not to overtake them in the first place imho.

Wonder if anyone can confirm, but aren't Fire Engines limited to 60 mph ?

Yes an no, Some we have are limited. Those that aren't when they are empty they certainly nip on. Add 2000ltrs water, fully laden with kit and crew they are not so quick.

I'm told its possible to "adjust" the limiter with a 10mm spanner.

I followed a police car in the same manner once. After a while the passenger in the police car began to wave his arm out the window. I don't think they liked being followed very much.

Woulda thought its pretty dangerous esp for a motorbike. Everyone's going to be looking at the flashing loud shiny thing that just passed, not the minnow in its wake.

HaHaaHaaaa! No, not at all, nothing could be further from the truth. There's no difference at all in the reactions and observation of the general dozy car driving public, but you DO have a LOT MORE SPACE once the sirens have punched a hole in the traffic, making thing s a lot easier. 🙂

I don't think it is illegal, but its quite dangerous and means the emergency vehicle has to slow down and watch the div behind as well as whats going on in front.

As an aside, travelling in convoy with sirens on, I'll often hang back quite a distance, to make sure motorists don't just pull out after the first vehicle is past without looking

Woulda thought its pretty dangerous esp for a motorbike. Everyone's going to be looking at the flashing loud shiny thing that just passed, not the minnow in its wake.

Emergency vehicles are not permitted to pressurise you out of the way. One person's life is no more important than another and ambulances are not even an emergency service they're an essential service.

This is not to say you can impede them but at the same time you don't have to swerve into the kerb/drive into a ditch/mount the pavement to let them overtake.

Emergency vehicles are not permitted to pressurise you out of the way. One person's life is no more important than another and ambulances are not even an emergency service they're an essential service.

Other traffic moved out its way and I just stayed behind the ambulance.
I didn't really see an issue with this - they were moving out the way to let the ambulance passed anyway. If the ambulance hadn't been in front of me I would have just overtaken the slower traffic anyway.

Dunno if it's against the law, but certainly not being courteous to those who have also moved out the way to let an emergency vehicle by, would there be owt wrong with letting them back in?

Its not really very courteous to pull onto a road in front of traffic that is travelling at the normal speed for that road though is it? I wasn't tailgaiting the ambulance I was following at a safe distance. One or two cars did move back onto the road. But as it was quiet (and they were travelling at least 30mph slower than me) I just went round them anyway.

Emergency vehicles are not permitted to pressurise you out of the way. One person's life is no more important than another and ambulances are not even an emergency service they're an essential service.

Emergency vehicles are not permitted to pressurise you out of the way. One person's life is no more important than another and ambulances are not even an emergency service they're an essential service.

I'm told its possible to "adjust" the limiter with a 10mm spanner.