poor ambulance driving standards

[geordy paul]

So, you saw it coming?
Yet you made no attempt to slow down?
You should have slowed and indicated left and let it pass you safely.
Simples.

[Nigel]

I have pulled over for ambulances (in car and on my bike) and been overtaken by another vehicle just pulling past me, obviously without a clue what is around them.

Has happend to me a lot too. At least twice I have been on the recieving end of a load of abuse for slowing down as the ambulance comes past.

renewing my mini bus assessment other day same thing pulled over TWO vans overtook as cop car was trying to pass, they didn't have a clue he was behind them hmy:

[-Ralph-]

Not sure which bit I got wrong?
500yds behind you, so assume he was able to exceed the up to 45 you were doing? Just under one third of a mile behind you and he takes @60mph = 20 seconds apprx for you to respond. Add in the distance you travelled in same 20 second at 15 mph for his closing speed?
How much notification more could the driver give?
The more information you add the more you make this easy to see I must be wrong, sorry.

I give in.

That's a good idea because you're never going to accurately describe what happened in text form. You need to take a Google satellite image of the roundabout and draw two lines on it, your path and that of the ambulance.



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[-Ralph-]

I find it hard to believe that some ambulance drivers even have a driving licence let alone have had extensive training. I've seen some truly shocking driving from police and ambulance services but never from a fire service vehicle. I think at times they just forget and get blinkered by the need to get there which is unsurprising but of no use to other road users most of whom will do whatever it takes to get out of the way as we understand the need.

Mike

Best hope your life is never in danger and you have to rely on an ambulance driver to save you then.

I always think that it's my job to get the hell out of their way rather than their to avoid me when they're in a hurry to save another persons life.

It's the ambulance drivers job to get past you safely.

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[hornet]

Ok then I'll add some detail as you've decided I'm wrong I tried to be diplomatic and excuse these guys the odd mistake as yes I KNOW THEY ARE IN A HURRY for a bloody good reason this forum can be absolutely fantastic but I don't think I'll bother with anything other than good information sharing from now on. Gedge I'll avoid anything you wish to say from now on and put in the bin where it belongs and Andy B I always thought you were better than that remark you seemed like a decent chap perhaps you misread or misunderstood my post. I know my English writing is far from good

Ralph your right it is their job to get through the traffic safely and quickly we've all seen the police training videos to explain the methods and yes most people go out of their way to help which is right

So have you ever been knocked off your bike by an ambulance without its blue lights on pulling out from a T junction while looking straight at you ? having adjusted my speed and positioning to best to be seen and be able to react. Yup the fucktard just lurched out and T boned me. If he had his lights on I'd have stopped simple as that

Then had the cheek to blame me as he claimed I was speeding which was utter bull the police turned up and breathalyzed me but not him ?? And I got a warning to "Watch my step" As for other incidents I'll not bother as you've already made up your mind

Mike

[wayne roome]

I was coming home today from the Nothamptonshire trail run and I don't know if anyone knows the area but from the A14 at Kettering there is a newish dual carriageway that terminates in a roundabout (some sort of hub),and heading towards Corby there are a set of traffic lights with a Holiday Inn on the Junction. Its two lanes and there is a left filter-- towards Corby I think. I was pootling up the inside lane towards the lights and I noticed an ambulance in the background with just blue lights going. As I approached the traffic lights the ambulance pulled alongside me on the OUTSIDE and suddenly let his siren go--I couldn't believe that he was trying to turn left in the filter lane and was running out of road and braking and starting to turn LEFT. I'm on knobblies and had to really anchor up to prevent being taken out by him as he cut straight across me. Traffic was light--he could have come up to me from behind and filtered left BEHIND me--I would not have held him up in the slightest. He nearly had an extra patient!-I was so shocked that I didn't get his number and wasn't on anything fast enough to give chase. I've never witnessed such bad judgement and dangerous driving from an emergency vehicle before--where do they get them from!--anyone else been similarly cut up?--If I'd been in a car he would not have turned left as there would have simply been no room.

wow! hope you, friends or family never need them. seems to me that you saw the lights in good time so a good responsible rider would have pulled over, speeded up or signalled to the emergency services as to what side to overtake/undertake you. i know what i would have done and that is not get in the way or moan after if i got it wrong. we all make mistakes even ME

[-Ralph-]

I'm not convinced blue lights speed things up in some circumstances, and the police/ambulance drivers don't always react in the best way. I had a police car on blue light behind me here a couple of days ago, I was doing about 40 mph.

https://goo.gl/maps/Wn66ZNd9ZMt

I saw him in my mirror as soon as he came into view maybe 150 yds back round the bend, crawling to stationary queue of traffic coming the other way, if I pull over or stop there's no way he's going to get through the middle, so I just carried on thinking there'll be space to get out of the way when we get to the roundabout, the car in front of me hasn't reacted so he probably hasn't seen him and is going to keep going to the roundabout too. We'll all get to the roundabout quicker if we just keep going.

Seeing that the car in front hasn't reacted, neither have I, albeit for good reason having assessed the situation, the copper assumed neither of us have seen him, and puts on the sirens. The idiot in front of me now has a panic attack, slams on his brakes, pulls over to the kerb and stops, I have to slam on the brakes and stop too. Low and behold, due to the stationary traffic going the other way, we are now creating a roadblock and the police car has to pull up stationary behind me and sit there with sirens blazing, while the drivers in the traffic queue coming the other way all desperately try to shuffle over to the left to create the space to let him through.

Police car was held stationary for about 20 seconds behing me. I'm just sitting there jammed behind the car in front, shaking my head, watching the driver in front of me frozen to the spot in panic, and the drivers in the queue coming the other way having an anerism over it, muttering "bunch of muppets" under my breath.

The copper created the situation though, he should have known putting his siren on would create a panic, and the fastest way through that situation was hang back.

This kind of situation is exactly why I stick firmly to the principle that it's their job to get past me safely, because sometimes in traffic there's nowhere to go to get out of the way. At that point you can only look in your mirror and say sorry mate, I've done all I can do, now it's time for you to use your training and do your job.

[Gedge]

Ok then I'll add some detail as you've decided I'm wrong I tried to be diplomatic and excuse these guys the odd mistake as yes I KNOW THEY ARE IN A HURRY for a bloody good reason this forum can be absolutely fantastic but I don't think I'll bother with anything other than good information sharing from now on. Gedge I'll avoid anything you wish to say from now on and put in the bin where it belongs and Andy B I always thought you were better than that remark you seemed like a decent chap perhaps you misread or misunderstood my post. I know my English writing is far from good

Ralph your right it is their job to get through the traffic safely and quickly we've all seen the police training videos to explain the methods and yes most people go out of their way to help which is right

So have you ever been knocked off your bike by an ambulance without its blue lights on pulling out from a T junction while looking straight at you ? having adjusted my speed and positioning to best to be seen and be able to react. Yup the fucktard just lurched out and T boned me. If he had his lights on I'd have stopped simple as that

Then had the cheek to blame me as he claimed I was speeding which was utter bull the police turned up and breathalyzed me but not him ?? And I got a warning to "Watch my step" As for other incidents I'll not bother as you've already made up your mind

Mike

Sensitive soul aren't we ...how dare anybody challenge your posts...feel free to ignore me...I know what it's like to drive a police vehicle at high speed under stressful circumstance ( and an ambulance too...long story that you won't be interested in reading) ...as a result I know that drivers aren't infallible ...but sweeping generalisations from someone that just happened to be knocked off their bike by one ambulance doesn't make you an expert...( ps I'm the holder of 2 class 1 police driving certificates, a class 1 police advanced driving instructor, have over 40 years driving and riding experience ...I think that does make me an expert ...not sure why you are unwilling to post your expertise ???

[bond_yzf]

Ok then I'll add some detail as you've decided I'm wrong I tried to be diplomatic and excuse these guys the odd mistake as yes I KNOW THEY ARE IN A HURRY for a bloody good reason this forum can be absolutely fantastic but I don't think I'll bother with anything other than good information sharing from now on. Gedge I'll avoid anything you wish to say from now on and put in the bin where it belongs and Andy B I always thought you were better than that remark you seemed like a decent chap perhaps you misread or misunderstood my post. I know my English writing is far from good

Ralph your right it is their job to get through the traffic safely and quickly we've all seen the police training videos to explain the methods and yes most people go out of their way to help which is right

So have you ever been knocked off your bike by an ambulance without its blue lights on pulling out from a T junction while looking straight at you ? having adjusted my speed and positioning to best to be seen and be able to react. Yup the fucktard just lurched out and T boned me. If he had his lights on I'd have stopped simple as that

Then had the cheek to blame me as he claimed I was speeding which was utter bull the police turned up and breathalyzed me but not him ?? And I got a warning to "Watch my step" As for other incidents I'll not bother as you've already made up your mind

Mike

Sensitive soul aren't we ...how dare anybody challenge your posts...feel free to ignore me...I know what it's like to drive a police vehicle at high speed under stressful circumstance ( and an ambulance too...long story that you won't be interested in reading) ...as a result I know that drivers aren't infallible ...but sweeping generalisations from someone that just happened to be knocked off their bike by one ambulance doesn't make you an expert...( ps I'm the holder of 2 class 1 police driving certificates, a class 1 police advanced driving instructor, have over 40 years driving and riding experience ...I think that does make me an expert ...not sure why you are unwilling to post your expertise ???

No amount of training makes you an "expert" it makes you trained

The age old saying "you learn something new every day"

[Gedge]

noun
1.
a person who has special skill or knowledge in some particular field; specialist; authority:
a language expert.
2.
Military.
the highest rating in rifle marksmanship, above that of marksman and sharpshooter.
a person who has achieved such a rating.
adjective
3.
possessing special skill or knowledge; trained by practice; skillful or skilled (often followed by in or at):
an expert driver; to be expert at driving a car.
4.
pertaining to, coming from, or characteristic of an expert:
expert work; expert advice.
verb (used with object)
5.
to act as an expert for.