move out of the way for blue lights

[fizzy]

I do get out of the way - ALWAYS! Where did I say I didn't? But please don't think that "they" are always in the right because often they aren't!

 

[pedrobedro]

Sometimes round here we get a convoy of cars going through with blue lights and they block the traffic lights and roundabouts while the convoy goes through and generally act as if they own the road. I asked a policeman what this was in aid of and he said it was taking serious offenders to trial. Surely they should drive reasonably and not draw attention to themselves on a mission like that.

 

[GW8IZR]

Sometimes round here we get a convoy of cars going through with blue lights and they block the traffic lights and roundabouts while the convoy goes through and generally act as if they own the road. I asked a policeman what this was in aid of and he said it was taking serious offenders to trial. Surely they should drive reasonably and not draw attention to themselves on a mission like that.

Its true that moving offenders of certain category require protection from the public and need to be secured from escape and liberation, when in heavy traffic that safety and security is at its most vulnerable.

There are many reasons today why moving high security offenders 'quietly' isn't always practical and sadly the reasons are not very palatable. Protecting a prisoner from an angry mob or inappropriate escape seems worth while to me.

Previously someone posted something along the lines of - 'I'm all right, stuff everyone else' I have a baseball bat to protect myself so I don't need the police.. just consider how you might feel in a few years when you or maybe your parents are elderly and vulnerable, not everyone can always look after themselves.

 

[Migmac]

I had to let a police car by on Wednesday afternoon. It was a very inconspicuous Jag, the blue lights were low on the front end and very small. Difficult to see when it was behind you, the siren wasn't what I would call the classic police siren. It wasn't until it was level with me I could actually see it was a police car and that was only because I could see the officer. If they are going to be using such cars they will get more delays behind other motorists. I would of thought a flip down screen, blue lights and a light saying police, like a sun visor. That would of been a lot better than the set up they had

 

[zzr1200]

Previously someone posted something along the lines of - 'I'm all right, stuff everyone else' I have a baseball bat to protect myself so I don't need the police.. just consider how you might feel in a few years when you or maybe your parents are elderly and vulnerable, not everyone can always look after themselves.

I never said I or we didn't need the police but being as you state your place of residency as Anglesey, I doubt you have many armed scotes in you area.

Having lived and worked in East London for over 30 years, there are areas where this is normal all over London, in one area the main road after about 8.00pm is locally known as Murder Mile mainly because of the druggies and the local turf wars. The police seemed at times just to come along and just pick up the left over mess.

And would I use the bat "Yes", if they don't break or come in, they won't find me protecting my belongings, will they!!!

And my father who's 90 still lives in East London, I asked him if he wanted to move up north with us he's choice was to stay, but he has double locks on all the windows, internal bolt locks on his internal doors, has a steel grille outside his front door and doesn't go out in evening even, to a neighbours.

 

[fizzy]

Police traffic cars were used to deter bad driving and it worked. They seem to use far more unmarked cars these days. It is easier to catch people and make money that way!

 

[wookie]

The Police and other emergency services can and do abuse the system! They used to make a habit of turning on blue lights just to jump a red light or drive in a bus lane until people in our area got fed up of it.

I used to know a traffic police guy and he said they would use the lights to get through a junction and then switch them off after the junction as he could then make better progress along the road without the lights causing some drivers to act erratically.

EDIT: I suppose the post below is trying to be funny about what I have written here.

The fact of the matter is some of the Traffic police are doing a their best within the rules that they have to work with while others will take the "P", don't tar them all of them with the same brush.

I've known a few police over the years, some good un's and some not so, one got clocked at 85 in a 40 zone. The policeman who clocked him didn't flag him down as he recognised the car and all the driver in question got was a verbal warning from his superior

 

[fizzy]

Yes I know - chips going cold.............
Just reminded me of a girl I used to go out with. It was a very hot evening and she wasn't wearing much. She was heading home and took some ice cream from my freezer. I said to her - Ahh well if you get stopped by the Police you can say your icecream is melting!
Lo and behold she was stopped by the Police for speeding! The first thing that came into her head was "my icecream is melting"! It worked though although I suspect the dress she was wearing had something to do with it..................

 

[brightspark]

The stuff in the house is replaceable, the lathe and milling machine aren't likely to be nicked by the normal scrote making a house call.

And there's a baseball bat under the stairs to slow down unwanted guests...just in case.

i play hockey only the ball has ears

 

[ukracer]

If there's a bus lane then they can go in it, let them sort it out.

The rest will be pulling left to make a clear passage. I would happily go to court if you moved over for me.....we keep logs of everything to be able to prove things to the court.

 

[rtbcomp]

....we keep logs of everything to be able to prove things to the court.

So did South Yorkshire Police after Hillsborough

 

[ukracer]

I'm not saying you're wrong or calling you out, but if thats true, what's the difference? And what a crock of .... a fire engine trying to put out a fire which could potentially destroy multiple lives, is less important than an ambulance which can only take a single patient?

http://www.ukemergency.co.uk/blue-light-use/

 

[ukracer]

So did South Yorkshire Police after Hillsborough

We dont mess with ours...

 

[ukracer]

i personally have moved over the white line and moved to the far left as i could do but never crossed the junction

though i believe its being 2 faced by the regs emergency service it is, if they have blues and two's going I will move out of the way as soon as it is safe to do so giving the emergency vehicle a clear and safe way past me, even if that means creeping forward through the lights enough to create a gap, or parking on a grass verge.

so heres the truth to it

As an emergency services driver... we never push people through red lights.... it is the drivers own decision to go through a red... which you shouldn't do. If possible an ambulance will "wrong side" to go through traffic lights rather than push people through. So yes you can be fined for doing so... we have the exemptions, you do not. Just wait for the light to go green then pull out of our way. When driving normally just pull to the left and stop. Indications would be appreciated. Please do not stop dead in front of us or stop on the right side of the road otherwise you are Increasing ur chances of being rear ended by a 5 n half ton ambulance... whilst we are very highly trained drivers it is sometimes difficult to predict the stupid things that the public do. Also please don't stop on a blind bend

it's not about the points and fines... if you go through a red light and get hit by an oncoming car.. we would have to stop to help you.. not only would if create more work for the already overstretched ambulance service we would be putting a large delay on going to the original caller. Just pull to the left when safe to do so. Yes it's important for us to reach patients quickly... but we view "sick" people differently to the general public in a large number of cases the jobs we attend, whilst the patient might be poorly... they are not what we as clinicians class as time critical. A large number of patients we attend, once we have actually seen them, if we decide they need to go to hospital they are driven at normal road speed. It is only those time critical or "big sick" patients that then get blue'd into hospital and it is only those small amount of patients where minutes really count.... but that's for us to worry about, not you. Even if we are running to a cardiac arrest... chances of survival are very slim if bystander cpr is not already in progress. We do what we can... but reality is people die, even when you have sweated ur ass off for an hour trying to resuscitate them... we don't let it bother us and being delayed by 10seconds because a car can't move due to a red light really will make hardly any difference to the outcome. 10minutes maybe Sorry if I went off in one. And sorry for any harsh truths about our job

Just to add my views whilst similar are different....we need to get there ASAP as we need to get the person out so gaz can convey them to get treatment.

So 10 seconds in our case means a lot especially with the cuts that mean less firefighters and less close appliances.

That said...there are times i am not sure how to react to a blue light from behind with road signs/bollard and speed humps dictating what i can do. Also i go from a 45 profile to 70 profile...lol depending what vehicle i am in.

A lot of people dont realise a green light is to be treated as a give way sign.

In WMFS we had to STOP at red lights before making progress......this caused other drivers who stopped or thought we had stopped to get confused and not to know what our intentions were.

Its not an easy thing to legislate for........COMMON sense needs applying by ALL parties including law enforcement.

 

[ukracer]

The Police and other emergency services can and do abuse the system! They used to make a habit of turning on blue lights just to jump a red light or drive in a bus lane until people in our area got fed up of it. They stopped after people had had enough and reported them enough. They don't seem to do it so much now - CCTV!

In 32 years i never saw this being done once. Our jobs are worth more than that.

I have however used blue lights to get back to our station......lol

Both occasions it was reported as being on fire.

 

[ukracer]

I have had several incidents of part time fire fighters sat behind me at lights, horns blasting with their FIRE signs lit up in the window of their own cars. Yes mate, I can see you, and yes I will move over to let you pass at the first opportunity, but NO, I won't pull through this red light just so you can get to the station , even if that means my house burns down as you were 30 seconds later than you wanted to be

Just shows why retained should be used far more sparingly........30 seconds can kill.......sad but true.

 

[fizzy]

In 32 years i never saw this being done once. Our jobs are worth more than that.

I have however used blue lights to get back to our station......lol

Both occasions it was reported as being on fire.

Used to happen on the Kingsway in Swansea every Friday and Saturday night!

 

[GW8IZR]

I never said I or we didn't need the police but being as you state your place of residency as Anglesey, I doubt you have many armed scotes in you area.

A man was battered to death in a hammer attack just last week, less than a mile from here. My residence is Anglesey but I learned about life in Miles Plating and Moss Side... and bits of Belfast and.. well.. lets say I do know what life can be like. I have never said that you shouldn't use whatever means you have available (or prepare for) to look after you and yours, thats up to your conscience and willingness to live with whatever consequences. I too would protect myself, family and to be fair any other waif or stray that looked like they needed it...

What I have said is some people need the prompt help of the emergency services to be safe. Whether you were being serious in your assertion that you would intentionally impede a police vehicles progress I cant say.. but I can say that I think you owe it to the rest of society who may not be as big and brave to let them get on with their job.. that's all.

 

[Wozzaaah]

I think this thread's run it's course now, it's just 4 pages of differing opinions and will only end up as loads more pages of differing opinions.