Driver responses to emergency service vehicles
Dec 23rd 2009, 8:45 pm
#16
Lost in BE Cyberspace
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Re: Driver responses to emergency service vehicles
Gawd help us if there is a Zombie invasion.
Dec 23rd 2009, 9:44 pm
#17
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Posts: 125
Re: Driver responses to emergency service vehicles
Never did I ever notice anything like this in the UK - for instance, if an ambulance is coming in the other direction, it never causes a blind panic with people just stopping/swerving around etc like they do here. Also if one is coming from behind, it just seems that people handle it a whole lot more sensibly in the UK, i.e. either staying put or continuing along just slowing down as necessary to let it through, rather than the madness that ensues here.
Nice thing here in the Chicago burbs is the white light that goes on at an intersection when an emergency vehicle is coming your way.
Dec 23rd 2009, 10:20 pm
#18
I'm off to find a spanner
Joined: Feb 2008
Location: Maine
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Re: Driver responses to emergency service vehicles
My wife god bless her, drove over a curb about a foot high trying to get out of the way of a fire engine. Put a hole in the front tyre and and ****ing great bulge in the rear tyre. She panics.
Dec 23rd 2009, 10:48 pm
#19
Not dead yet
Joined: Apr 2004
Location: In a world of my own where I know everyone
Posts: 15,042
Re: Driver responses to emergency service vehicles
This picture reminded me of this thread. Actually this is a coach crash where two died. Not sure why the police car looks off the road.
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/image...284_de27-1.jpg
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8427781.stm
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/image...284_de27-1.jpg
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8427781.stm
Dec 23rd 2009, 11:18 pm
#20
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Re: Driver responses to emergency service vehicles
I've been to Germany twice but can't prove what my husband says about German emergency vehicles. He claims during his 12 years of living there that the EV have a bar that pushes cars out of the way if it does move from there path. If this is true I would love to see it used here.
In the Netherlands, if an emergency vehicle on it's way to the fire or patient or whatever, collides with another vehicle it is required by law to stop and deal with the collision before it can continue its way.
Dec 23rd 2009, 11:41 pm
#21
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Joined: Jan 2008
Location: Ohio
Posts: 53
Re: Driver responses to emergency service vehicles
Has anyone seen over here yet the newer Roadwars-type series that was filmed with Humberside Police? It was being filmed just as I left the UK in May 2007. I keep searching but can only find the Thames Valley programmes.
Dec 24th 2009, 1:01 am
#22
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Location: MA, USA
Posts: 92,170
Re: Driver responses to emergency service vehicles
law in MA is to stop regardless of the lane of traffic, technically even if there is a median barrier on the interstate, though not enforced.
In ME, it's slow down for oncoming and pull over if safe to do so if coming from behind.
clusterpuck is usually what happens though.
In ME, it's slow down for oncoming and pull over if safe to do so if coming from behind.
clusterpuck is usually what happens though.
Dec 24th 2009, 2:09 am
#23
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Location: Maine
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Re: Driver responses to emergency service vehicles
The other stuff you said I kind of agree though. I think UK drivers are generally more aware of what's going on around them than American drivers. My sister is a paramedic in Glasgow and has some stories though... it's not so much that people don't know what to do as they choose to do things like slam the brakes on right in front of her, or pretend to be about to step off the pavement right in front of her, etc...
Dec 24th 2009, 2:20 am
#24
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 7,605
Re: Driver responses to emergency service vehicles
I should imagine its probably the same here, but the actual implementation of it is severely lacking...especially the people who then try to take advantage of the situation and gain car lengths over the ones stopped in front of them. That is how the accident nearly occurred this morning, a car had built up a fair lick of speed in his overtaking bid and seemed surprised when someone just pulled off the verge in front of him.
Good girl!
