that last video just made me angry, that corsa and the taxi were just taking liberties at the opportunity for them to get further ahead in the queue there should be a punishment for that kind of driving, there was no reason for them to do that
The second I hear a siren or catch a glimpse of a blue light, my head's on a swivel immediately to see where it's coming from. Amazes me the amount of times I've moved to the side in traffic to leave space and other people don't realise until the last second.
Same thing with me. I always allow emergency vehicles to pass. On Sunday I saw an ambulance coming from behind. I was going to turn left. When the left lane opened, I stopped at the beginning of the lane and allowed the ambulance to pass my right side to turn left.
I lost my dad cause a ambulance got to our house too late they could only get the smaller car there and it was too late, this makes me so angry its a emergency vehicle move out the way; a extra couple of minutes for you is life or death to someone else pure selfishness
sorry to hear bud and i 100% agree coz if i needed help id want everyone to move like i want to move out the way coz i know someone else needs their help.
This lack of awareness just defies belief... appreciate that a handful of seconds could pass whilst people figure out what to do/where to go but those drivers need speaking to by the authorities!
Remember that emergency services do not expect you to put yourself in danger. If it's too dangerous to pull over then don't, they don't want you to join them in hospital. Hats off to our emergency services.
I agree there, I've noticed that people rarely react positively to emergency vehicles. All it takes is a quick glance in the mirrors every few seconds and to be honest you can often hear emergency vehicles anyway.
@@MCsmileyB I do know what’s going on, because I actually understand virology unlike you conspiracy theorists. I’ve lost 9 colleagues as a result of this pandemic.
A lot of drivers panic at the sound of a siren. The first thing I do is try and find out which direction it is coming from, then workout what I can do to help get them on their way. Sometimes you don’t always need to do anything.
Indeed. Was chatting to a paramedic just a while ago, (mum had a fall, and was being assessed, all turned out ok) but he had an idle few mins while his colleague did the ECG.... he said he preferred if drivers on the OTHER side of the road not react at all if his side is clear... lots of people instinctively slow down even when it's not going their way. It makes them wonder if the vehicle driver is going to do something in a panic..
Another issue that can occur is that after everyone has moved over and the emergency vehicle has passed, some drivers then try to take advantage of the situation by pulling out rapidly and flooring it to get ahead of as many other vehicles as possible in front, before they themselves pull back out. There should be some kind of rule / understanding that vehicles are to pull back out maintaining the same order they were originally in, otherwise a dangerous situation can arise.
Happens all the time in London. I pull my lorry off to the side to allow emergency vehicles to pass and the traffic behind me suddenly wanna get pass. I've pulled back out before they get passed, and they blare their horns at me as if I'm in the wrong lmao.
The sad thing is that the private hire vehicle and Corsa probably used this as an opportunity to get themselves a bit further ahead in the queue because, honestly, I think they knew exactly what they were doing. The noise from the ambulance and everyone around them moving out of the way MUST have been apparent to them and if it wasn’t? Well, I don’t think they should be on the road because, as you mentioned, these sorts of delays for emergency vehicles can be the difference between life, or death.
I think the Corsa was oblivious - headphones or loud music or something. The private hire went to move over eventually, and then did take the opportunity to move forward behind the Corsa instead
It's possible the Corsa driver was inexperienced and lacking in common sense. No excuse for the private hire driver, though. Great awareness from the true professional in the lorry.
100% agree with you on this Ashley. You are right, there should be space made up the middle. In Roadcraft (the Emergency Services driving manual) this is called "Parting the waves". That was totally shocking behaviour by the drivers of the Corsa and the Private Hire. Two points. 1) As you say, it's illegal for you to drive through a red light to make space for an Emergency Services vehicle. That's why Emergency Services drivers are trained to switch off their sirens when sitting in a queue at traffic lights. There was a case recently where a driver with a 20-year-plus spotless driving record was fined for going through a red light to let an ambulance past. He may well have saved somebody's life doing it. Sadly, traffic light cameras cannot see the full situation and the Council involved did not waive the fine once the situation was explained. I take their point: anybody could sneak through a red light and then claim they were allowing an ambulance through. But still, it does seem harsh. 2) Another bad place to stop is on a blind corner or just before the crest of a hill. The driver of the Emergency Services vehicle behind us would then be overtaking blind and they are trained to avoid doing that. Again, the siren will go off although the blue lights still flash. That means the driver of the Emergency Services vehicle has realised that this not a safe place to pass. In such a case, we should keep driving until the view is clear, and then pull over: allowing the Emergency Services vehicle to pass as soon as it is safe and legal to do so.
@James Stewart My dad having been private hire and hackney carriage, reckons it's that most of them don't care at all about their cars or even driving in general. It's a job that anyone with little qualifications can take up, so many are completely careless as long as the operator's office is giving them jobs. Many of these Octavia taxis are also bought and owned by their operators or are auction write off purchases. My dad has owned many of these including an ex-police vRS and while they're decent cars he says to stay well clear of any Octavia that's seen taxi usage as the drivers really don't give a single shit about them.
Can I just add, drivers need to appreciate that the response driver behind them can't necessarily see what they can see. Stopping on or just before the brow of a hill or blind bend will delay them as we won't pass if it isn't safe so will wait for you to move forward enough to see that it's safe. Also please don't panic and just slam on, take a second to assess the situation and then react, sometimes it allows smoother and safer progress just to ease off slightly or carry on driving at the speed limit until you reach a safer place to move over.
For those drivers who fail to plan and anticipate their own manoeuvres, hoping that they'll make good decisions to assist other vehicles is a bit of a reach.
If I’m out in my car, I’ll usually signal and chuck it into a junction on the left so they can get past. If I’m out in the work van, I usually hit the hazards so they know I’ve seen them and am actively looking to let them pass and move when safe to do so. I appreciate that the van is as big as the emergency vehicle and they can’t see through / around / over it so are more reliant on me moving out of the way than they would be if I was in my car
I can understand that. Just being in a rush to get to work or to get home or whatever is one thing, but if you’re driving an ambulance with a patient in the back in cardiac arrest then you’ll obviously be worried that the patient might die in the back of the ambulance before you can get them to the hospital. In that situation, those arrogant bastards would have blood on their hands because they prevented paramedics from being able to do what needed to be done. How would you feel as the paramedic? You’ve given it your all, but the patient is with God and Jesus in heaven. It wasn’t even your fault that you lost the patient.
I really wish more emg services vehicles in the UK had bullhorns. Turn off the sirens and blast the bullhorn in these situations, it'll wake people up.
When the private hire eventually pulled to the side he did what I used to see so many do when I was a fireman. Car turns nose into side of road forgetting that there's another half of the car behind them sticking out into the lane! The route we took from the fire station most often took us up a one way street where we encountered many of the car drivers doing the same thing as the private hire driver in your video. It's amazing how many people don't know that their car extends beyond the seat they are sat in!
I have a friend who drives an ambulance, he told me one of the biggest things he faces daily are people stopping infront of him when traffic is flowing. He advised "just keep moving until you can safely pull out of the way, don't stop dead if traffic is moving and slowly inch over." Of course, road situation dependent, but I'd never even thought of it like that until he told me.
I was once following a car on an empty A road and an ambulance came along in the other direction. The driver in front panicked and stopped suddenly to pull into the verge. I nearly went into the back of them because I wasn't expecting this totally unnecessary and dangerous manoeuvre. People do really stupid things around emergency vehicles.
I don't live in the UK, but still your videos helped me develop the right mind set. Recently got my drivers licence and am enjoying it! My driving instructor told me to constantly keep on the lookout for emergency vehicles, and its a great tip because they could come from anywhere so you have to look everywhere...
If these people display such a lack of awareness of emergency vehicles marked in hi-viz marking with sirens and lights going, imagine their lack of awareness to ordinary road users around them. Astonishing really!
It's frustrating how many people appear to drive without due care and attention, or drive carelessly/dangerously. I work in an urban environment and this sort of behaviour happens almost every time I'm driving with lights and sirens on. Thank you for raising awareness and for the channel content in general.
That did make my blood boil but the Corsa driver never moved his head, he's the same bloke who changes lane into you. We live on an ambulance route into our town and it is staggering the utter ignorance displayed (there's one going up the hill right now) by a minority of drivers. There's that many ambulances that I always crack my window open a little so I can hear them from further away.
1:46 has happened to me before. I was rigth at the red, and had no room to move at all. The red light must have stayed red for a solid 90 seconds... I live in Weymouth and the traffic lights can stay on red for a solid two minutes sometimes. It's an awful feeling of guilt knowing that you _could_ help the ambulance reach a choking child, or stroke victim sooner. But you have to sit there and potentially cause another persons death in case you get a £50 fine... But it's an unfortunate reality. It's similar in China too - often people trying to help are wrongly accused, so ignore people in need.
Great video Ashley ;) being both an ADI and working for the ambulance service very frustrating and unfortunately a daily occurrence. I'm all for improving road safety and awareness. Love you videos.
Sweden has a law that says if you don’t get out of the way you can be facing a prosecution get a ticket or even sentenced to prison for blue light sabotage. I’m always trying to get out of the way or make some room for an emergency vehicle to get through quickly and safely thanks for rising the topic.
I totally agree that the Corsa and PH drivers seemed oblivious to the situation..... they should have their licences revoked! A proper safety campaign should be on national tv. It just might wake a few people up and help to avoid the situation depicted. Stay safe everyone 👍
In some countries if you’re in queuing traffic on a multi-lane road you’re meant to leave space for emergency vehicles to pass. Usually lane 2 goes to the left of the lane and lane 3 to the right. There’s signs in traffic hotspots to remind of this.
The two drivers just refusing to clear out of the way of the ambulance made my brain hurt. I understand panicking, braking and not moving. Or moving quickly in an unsafe manner, but to just... mosey on as if everything's normal? Good lord. Imagine your Granny is in the back of that ambulance, you wouldn't be too keen to hold them up then, assuming your Granny didn't get on your bad side.
4:05 that one minute is already enough to make a difference. It might mean some criminal escapes, a person who has a heart attack dies (or to the very least the person's quality of life will be less because of that minute). It might also mean that hedge that was on fire that they could have contained, now jumped to the next-door house. Every second count is not just a saying, literally every second counts when it comes to emergency vehicles.
Writing as a retired police response driver you nailed it when you said awareness. We do understand that there are times where vehicles will block us for a few seconds due to road and traffic conditions, we also understand that on hearing and seeing our emergency equipment being used it can cause some drivers to freeze and/or make irrational decisions. If all drivers followed the excellent advice you gave in this video emergency response drivers would be very happy.
@@lovepeace5845 I'm so sorry, but I can't resist pointing this out. You were right the first time; "to not get" is a split infinitive and "not to get" is the correct order. We're so used to people getting this wrong we start to think the correct version sounds/looks wrong.
The cab and Corsa were unbelievably poor, the authorities should be able to take action against motorists who are that unaware. They’d certainly be the ones shouting the loudest when the needed an ambulance and it was delayed!!!
Perhaps that last clip is a great example that some drivers, often known as "ambulance chasers", do also try to use the ambulance to gain their own progression with the ambulance behind them
As someone who lost a relative who might have been saved if the ambulance had got there sooner, this video makes me so angry. There should be a law that requires drivers to make best efforts to allow emergency vehicles to pass. Obviously there will be some situations where it won't be possible, but that would be accounted for as a statutory defence against a charge. Clearly it was possible in the clip in this video. This would also provide a defence against any summons for jumping a red light to allow an emergency vehicle to pass, if you can prove/demonstrate that it was done in the pursuit of "best efforts" to allow the vehicle to pass and did not endanger other road users. Obviously I'm not a lawyer nor an expert in these things so any such law would require full consultation to ensure it's reasonable and ultimately enforceable, but at the very least it should be explored.
In Germany, drivers are taught that cars brought to a stand on a dual carriageway without a hard shoulder should automatically move left or right to the edge of the carriageway regardless of whether an emergency vehicle is visible, in case one appears. It's so obviously a sensible precaution that ever since I visited Germany I do it as a matter of course.
I remember a few years ago I was driving about half a mile from my home when I realised that there was an ambulance with its blue lights on somewhere behind me heading in the same direction. I pulled to the left with my indicator on, only for a car to pass me despite the ambulance being next behind him. He didn't pull over until the ambulance was right behind with the sirens on. The inattentiveness of such drivers is quite shocking.
@@jeremystanger1711 Yes, it depends on the road and the traffic. This was on a single carriageway road where pulling over tends to be the better option.
Does remind me of being stuck on the A40 heading into London, at least two miles to the next junction, traffic at a standstill (probably therefore an accident). Ambulance comes through, with two cars taking advantage of the space everyone generated by surfing after the ambulance, avoiding the queue. Prize arses!!
The thing which bothers me is the lack of the driver's situational awareness given what other drivers were clearly doing. Is that the same sort of failure that leads to collisions in other circumstances.
The problem in the UK is giving way to emergency vehicles is a courtesy. It should be like the US where you have to pull over and stop when it is safe to do so until the emergency vehicle has passed. Most emergency vehicles have cameras on board now and evidence could be used to at least make the type of drivers like the the Corsa and private hire driver take a driver awareness course. I think there should also be more emphasis with learner driver training on how to react to emergency vehicles. As an ex paramedic I have experienced many idiots and many people who possibly just panicked and made a mistake because they didn't know how to react.
very good message! i just got my provisional today and am super excited, have watched your videos for a while now and they have been a great help, especially with the video series with erin!
I was in a similar situation with the ambulance behind me in crawling traffic, so I pulled over in a empty parking bay. Unfortunately the people I was following were utterly clueless.
2:00 as far as I know only in the UK emergency vehicles will switch off the siren in order not to force someone to go through a red light, and you might be fined for doing so; Elsewhere you rather get a fine for not doing so, and emergency vehicles will keep the siren running and might even tell you to move via their PA system
That’s astounding from the Corsa and the taxi - it’s scary how unaware they are of what’s going on around them! As a driver, even if you’ve not spotted the ambulance, you’d be asking yourself “why is everyone pulling over” and clearly the corsa driver must have assumed it was for him hahaha
I'm going to add a third comment - sorry haha! Just an experience I had a few years ago on a busy motorway. I was in lane 3, an Emergency Blood car comes up behind me at speed but there is no gap for me to move over. I indicate and speed up to try and get in a small gap that's opening ahead but the car in lane 2 blocks me, so I slow again to try and tuck behind and the car behind also speeds up to close the gap! I'm stuck in lane 3 with a load of selfish drivers so blinded by the need to not let anyone in front that they're oblivious to the reason why I'm trying to get into their lane! I ended up flooring it as my lane had cleared ahead and managed to get over further up.
The emergency vehicle drivers are trained to work their way around traffic, just take a few moments to assess your surrounding. If you need to make space because of traffic, then do so when and if there is enough space to do so. And always remember to indicate your intentions to do so for all other road uses. Sometimes the best coarse of action for emergency services is just to stay in your lane if traffic speed is normal. Unfortunately it is just too common that people panic and impulsively react without thinking what would be best for the situation. I'm not sure if you want to chime in here Ashley but I find that is approaching a junction with a emergency vehicle behind, Using hazard lights instead of indicating is less confusing, Indicating may give the impression that your vehicle is intending to proceed to turn at a junction rather than giving way to an emergency vehicle.
The Corsa driver looked like he wanted to get out of the way but...after he passed the traffic first. He must have thought he was killing two birds with one stone.
Regarding the last point - in the event of cardiac arrest, one of the more common reasons for an ambulance to be called out, the chance of survival decreases by around "10%" for every minute that passes, after 8-9 minutes it is likely irreversible brain damage will occur. Few will survive beyond 20 minutes at most.
I drive a large Transit van and trailer. Sometimes if you happen to check the wing mirrors at the wrong time it can be very easy to miss an emergency services vehicle as it's not as obvious as glancing them in the rear view mirror so I'm always on the look out for them. My vehicle has roof mounted beacons so if I spot them early enough I give a quick flash of the beacons to let them know I've seen them and looking for somewhere suitable, been mindful that the trailer is also out of the way.
That last clip is absolutely infuriating. Whether it's downright stupidity (in which case they shouldn't have a license) or selfishness, that could have cost someone their life. As a Cyclist too, I'm glad to see the cycle lane was there to provide the space to move into. I don't think any of us who choose two wheels will complain about people moving over in this circumstance.
Ashley, do you think you could do one for driving on country roads in the dark please? The small ones with no lamp posts or anything. You may have done it before but I couldn't find any so apologies if I'm asking for a repeat.
An excellent video lesson Ashley, That's no shock to see a taxi/private hire car barging through with little or no respect for others, Those sirens and flashing lights should be a clear signal that they are in a rush, but it seems to be an everyday occurance now, more than once I've pulled in or made space and not just the car behind has passed me but 3 or 4 before there dull senses kick in and they scramble up the kerb usually scattering pedestrians in their wake, As for going through the red light to let the emergency vehicle through I know it's illegal but sometimes it's the only manoeuvre possible, and you quite rightly point this out, so long as they're not pulling in front of other traffic and causing a problem I'm quite happy for this to happen
Amazing video Ash; on my blue light response course I was taught there’s three groups of drivers: those who want to help can, those who want to help but don’t know how to and those who don’t give a f##k, sadly more and more people are in the later group. I’ll see if it possible to get a video from our dashboard to give you an idea of what it’s like from our point of view if you like?
This reminds me of something earlier I saw, a police car sat with blue lights and sirens sat in a queue of traffic because 1 lorry decided not to make space for the police car. He was sat there in the traffic for a get 30 seconds or more. It's not a matter of whether you want to move, it can be a matter of life or death, a matter of someone being severely harmed both mentally and physically, and by the way the car used his sirens and rushed off afterwards, this situation might have been. These drivers need to ask whether they'd react the same if their family members were at risk if they did things like this. I'm sure they wouldn't if it were their son/daughter/mother/father who were needing the help of the services.
2:12 Was stuck in a standstill on a two lane stretch of motorway when an emergency vehicle started coming up. Everyone decided to split and let them pass in the middle. Except this one lorry on the second lane. He decided that he needs to be in the first lane. And because traffic wasn't moving, he ended up completely across the road, blocking everything up. There's one in every crowd. In that video, there were two.
3:39 - I don’t think is lack of awareness, they were fully aware of what they were doing (corsa & PHV) they just wanted to minimise their own queueing time in traffic and the ambulance gave them the perfect excuse to jump ahead a few spaces.
Oh that one with the Corsa Driver and the Private Hire. It reminds me of the one and only time I heard my grandfather swearing when I was a child, must have been about 2003 maybe 2004 on a Snowy Day, so I'd be 8/9/10 (November Birthday) and we were on our way to Dundee via the A90..whilst there was works with a Lane Closure and slow moving Queuing Traffic, my grand father saw traffic starting to move over to the edge to make a gap for an ambulance and a Taxi behind us tried to slip through the gap between my grandads Ford Mondeo and a VW Golf alongside of us only to be met with a Porche who move infront of him blocking him from going forward explained in a bit, both the Porche Driver and my grandfather got out as Traffic was Stopped by the workies not too far up the road (they saw the ambulance and just stopped traffic merging in turn for the Lane Closure) and both my grandfather and the Porche driver started swearing at the Taxi Driver to get back behind us because with Traffic stopped.. There was nowhere for him to fit up ahead period. The taxi relented and reversed behind us, Ambulance passed and traffic resumed, Porche driver merged ahead of us, the Golf alongside was positioned to merge behind us and ahead of the Taxi.. But Taxi driver being a dick the Golf had to merge behind him and Taxi proceeded to ride my Grandfather's arse all the way along the single file 40mph snowy works area before taking a turn off before the end of the Works.
reminds me of a situation I had recently where I had a car following too close behind me but I became aware and heard an emergency vehicle on a call was fast approaching further behind, so i did what I would say the right and safe thing to do and indicated and pulled over to the left to allow them past but the car behind me continued on and was totally oblivious that the emergency vehicle was even there and made it difficult for them to pass despite them being right behind them with sirens and flashing lights going.
there is a channel called russian ambulance which shows everything you talked about but from their POV and it is kinda obvious that driving schools should spend way more time teaching ppl how to drive around emergency vehicles
There's a worrying trend for people to pull across the centre line into oncoming traffic to allow blue lights through. I wish I had footage but my heart's in my throat every time.
As an emergency service vehicle driver who is trained to grade 4 standard (Blue lights except pursuits) there are two things I'd ask of all drivers. Firstly, if you see blue lights behind you, where safe to do so STOP. Too many people slow down but don't slow to an acceptable speed, an example of this is say they drop to 18mph an hour in a 30. While you maybe going slow enough that you think we can pass, you're still moving and any gap you've created is quickly closing down. Too often I see cars slow down 30m ahead of me with a gap for overtake, only for when I reach them that gap is now gone because they've moved forward and come parallel to a vehicle on the opposite side of the road. If you stop where you are, then the gap remains. If there's another car then often they'll see you've stopped and do the same. Secondly, think about what you can see. If you can't see that clearly ahead, nor can I. I've often had trucks,vans and large 4x4's stop around on the approaches to a blind corner. I can't overtake into a blind corner, regardless of my training driving has taught me so I have to wait for you to go around or risk it, which I'm never going to do as we have a motto, 'better to arrive late then never'. I know it contradicts my last point, but if you want to stop for an emergency service vehicle but it's going to be in a location where we won't be able to overtake you like blind bends etc, simply keep going at a slower pace around it until the vision increases. That way we can overtake when its clear and safe to do so.
Ive been practising this...I always try to position my car out of the ambulance way or police vehicles...Usually other cars will que behind me but some leave it until last minute...It makes no sense when cars fall in behind the ambulance trying to get their quicker...Im with Ashly Neal on this one...Respecting emergency services is key , one day it could be you or i in the ambulance...I believe in Karma , i ask all of you respect our wonderful emergency services...Its never too late to start 🚑
Best practice I find is leave more space between you and the car in front when traffic builds up. Being able to see the vehicle's rear bumper in front of you gives you space if they roll back, I try to keep more space than that so I have room to manoeuvre more to the side of the road if needed.
@@slyfoxyandalifesaver The problem with this approach is that often you will have that idiot who will slip in if you leave too much space in front. I think this is also the reason why people just don't leave a middle corridor by default, too many idiots will use this to jump the queue. It's sad, but that's how it is.
A few observations: Do not slam on the brakes as soon as you see blue lights behind you. Do not stop next to a traffic island, double-white lines, at the brow of a hill, etc. You are not expected to go through a red signal, the emergency vehicle will hold back. Please just look ahead for a safe gap to give the emergency vehicle space. Remember that a police vehicle can be going to an emergency even if the blue lights are off. If they are flashing you to move out of the way please do so. Have a bit of respect for other drivers, don't follow an emergency vehicle through queuing traffic. Please keep checking your mirrors, especially on fast roads like motorways. More so if you are in a van. Modern insulation and stereos can deafen sirens.
I kid you not, I was walking along South Road in Lancaster which is a tight section of the A6 just outside the hospital when we heard a siren and the cars parted pretty well as you show. The ambulance came through but had an idiot in a three series tailgating, at first we thought it could be a relative but then the Ambulance came to a full stop in the middle of all the traffic with the blues still on. The back door opened the the paramedic pointed at the driver behind and made a "cut it out" gesture. I felt ashamed on the idiots behalf!
Absolutely shocking driving by the Corsa and the Taxi drivers. Just imagine if a family member was in that ambulance or waiting for an ambulance, lying on the floor bleeding heavily or not breathing? They could die, literally because of a single person's lack of awareness. In my opinion, although it would go unseen, it is just as bad as killing someone by careless driving, yet the driver wouldn't even be aware of it and continue on to work to moan about how bad the traffic was!
As someone with police in the family, the police at least are really highly trained when it comes to pursuit and general high-speed driving. The training takes months (usually 12-18 months for our force) to complete. I must say that in my town, the one that usually catches people out is when a fire engine is leaving our main station. The road is a dual carriage way but features a cut to allow the fire engine to go both left and right. Too many people blocked this cut off and then didn’t make way for vehicles to make progress. That stretch of road now has a rail crossing-style warning system in place to get people to stop for fire engines to come through.
Great video! It annoys the hell out of me that you can be prosecuted for going through the red light when an emergency vehicle is stuck behind you. Personally, I would move and pay the fine, but I can understand that others wouldn't move.
You'll also get 3 points. The emergency vehicle will go round the other side of the island if they need to get past. In my experience, most emergency vehicle drivers will cancel their sirens and blues if they need to wait for the lights to change so drivers can get out of the way to avoid pressuring drivers into breaking the law.
@@raithrover1976 In my experience, most fire and ambulances will cancel their sirens, the police seldom do though. They just push their way through. Like I said I'd take my chances, but appreciate if others don't. It has to be a personal choice. The law should also be changed.
I once pulled out in front of an ambulance on an A road after the guy in front of me suddenly stopped the flow of traffic from 60 mph and pulled to the left side. The trouble was, his speed and road positioning had been so random for the 15 minutes I'd been stuck behind him, I figured pulling over without any warning was just more of the same. In my frustration, I forgot to check my mirrors. Luckily, the ambulance gave me a loud blast of the horn and was quickly on its way.
Two thoughts. One, the video from the emergancy vehicles dash cam is sent to the police who will take action on any driver blocking an emergency vehicle. Two, why not make it a rule that all vehicles must pull to the left on a single lane road, or if a dual carriage way to the left of lane one, and the right on lane two?
In a lot of other countries they dont make way for emergency vehicles. If youve ever been in Paris for instance it can be quite shocking to see traffic ignore their presence and continue to take up road space where theres room, though you do get the odd private vehicle who will take it upon themselves to make space and gesture at other motorists to get out the way.
3:34 I had people do this today actually, after pulling over to let a fire engine past they decided it was a great time to overtake as I was pulling back out. Single laned street.
I still get very nervous (as a relatively new driver) when I hear an emergency vehicle. I've been learning to calm down straight away and assess where it's coming from, then act accordingly.
I think there should be Media announcements and Road signs reminding drivers what they SHOULD do when an Emergency Service vehicle is trying to get through traffic. I have seen many road signs informing drivers in Europe. Many drivers have not got a clue, thinking that they only need to move over and stop, but if that happens before the ESV gets to them, other road users are sometimes blocked and then nothing moves. More often than not, the driver at the front has a totally clear road ahead of them
I see it often when people who are making good progress on a main road see a blue light and sirens and just freeze to a stop no matter where they are. The correct thing to do is continue driving until there is a safe space to pull over with good vision for the emergency services driver to pass safely. When someone just hits the anchors and stops the ES then has to slow to make sure it's safe to pass. Where if you continue at the speed limit until the road is straight or widens the will be happier. As for going over the stop line you can only do so if instructed by a police officer in uniform
I always think if you see an emergency vehicle someway back move over to the left but don't use your indicators as the driver of the vehicle behind may become fixated with you signalling and not notice the impending blue light directly behind them.
There are other people who panic as soon as they hear the sirens or se the blues and slam on the brakes wherever they are on the road seen that many times.
Worth noting that in the last clip the drivers were entering a mandatory cycle lane. As with the red light case I'd drive into it (after double and triple checking for cyclists) to make way, but again it's something you could, technically, be prosecuted for. However it's very unlikely as cycles lanes are generally less policed than red lights.
"cycles lanes are generally less policed than red lights" Emergency vehicles can go in cycle and bus lines if it is an emergency. Yeah uhhhh Brighton's council takes no hostages when it comes to bus and cycle lanes!
Also there could be more than one emergency vehicle so look before pulling off again. If you are at a junction and there are two or more be aware that they may not be going to the same job and therefore may take different routes.
Emergency vehicles are supposed to turn the siren off and come to a stop at busy junctions on a red to avoid panicking people through a red light which could be dangerous. There's a junction just off J26 of the M1 where I see this frequently. Lights still on but siren off until the lights change.
Sometimes the worst thing you can do is stamp on the brakes and swerve. Observe, assess, react and recover. Is the emergency vehicle behind you? What’s the traffic like, how many lanes are available etc. Slow down, move over if necessary. Once the emergency vehicle has passed check for chasers before returning to normal road position and speed. [Not an extensive list].
My understanding is that all emergency vehicles in the UK are fitted with dashcams so there could well be repercussions for the two drivers who refused to move, even if it is just a warning letter in the post. A few years ago, some moron in an expensive German saloon (I can't remember if it was an Audi, BMW or a Merc) ended up with an 18 month ban for overtaking an ambulance on an emergency call on a winding single-carriageway in Aberdeenshire because it was "holding him up". He was convicted on the evidence gathered by the ambulance's dashcam.
I have been driving in Germany this year and on dual carriageways if traffic isn’t moving vehicles routinely create a split down the middle for emergency vehicles to get through (wether there are any blue lights to be seen or not). Didn’t see anyone abuse that.
It's also frustrating that sometimes people just stop to let the emergency vehicle past, but just end up blocking their only route. Sometimes, progressing quickly can be the right thing to do, it just needs to be done safely, and only if you cannot get out of the way
At night if I find an emergency vehicle coming towards me on blues, depending on the road, I tend to slow and turn my head lights off just leaving side lights on as it gives them greater visibility. 2 of my family drive on blues and twos so I get to hear some of their stories. At cross roads or major junctions even if you have the green light always check for emergency vehicles approaching in case they need to go through the red light. The two cars holding up the ambulance were unbelievable
Don't drive at night with just side lights on even if there's an ambulance coming with their blues on. Just leave your lights on low beams/dipped beams until it's safe to put on your high/full beams on if needed. Side lights are virtually useless even the led ones.
I've had a near miss where I turned left at a set of traffic lights. The left turn is at an angle with a bit of a blind spot on your right as you turn, I was shocked when I was nearly hit by an ambulance with blue lights on but didn't turn on their sirens. I had a green light but I didn't see the ambulance, and the ambulance really should of sounded it's siren if going through a red light. Regardless if I was in the right or wrong, I don't want to be the reason why someone didn't get emergency medical care quicker. Lesson learnt the hard way.
@@hikaru9624 Dipped beam still reduces the visibility of oncoming traffic. My headlights will be off for what, 20 seconds and my speed reduced? Not quite as dramatic as you make out.
I wouldn't recommend turning to sidelights in an area which is not street lit, dipped beams aren't an issue and if you're still moving, even if your speed is reduced, you're not going to see a pedestrian or other obstacle, could be causing more problems than you're solving.
@@radishpea6615 it takes less than 20 seconds for things to go wrong. You'd be surprised at how invisible you can look with just tiny side lights on. But you do you, I'm gonna stick to my low beams when driving at night with other traffic (obviously using high beams when safe to do so).
This video vaguely reminds me of a video CobraEmergencyVideos filmed and uploaded a few years ago, it was somewhere like Nottingham or Northampton but a Citroen passed a set traffic lights as soon as they went green but didn't pay attention to an ambulance responding to an emergency coming from the right hand side of them, so the ambulance nearly t-boned the Citroen. Surprisingly it took a while to find the video again, I thought it would be more popular but it only has 20k views - yet I've seen the clip on other channels before.
![Lethal Company Music Video 🎵 "Follow The Orders" [VERSION A]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/QeooZB4Z7RA/mqdefault.jpg)
that last video just made me angry, that corsa and the taxi were just taking liberties at the opportunity for them to get further ahead in the queue there should be a punishment for that kind of driving, there was no reason for them to do that
I'd agree on the private hire car but I think that Corsa was just beyond braindead, to the point they would make zombies look like Mastermind winners.
The second I hear a siren or catch a glimpse of a blue light, my head's on a swivel immediately to see where it's coming from. Amazes me the amount of times I've moved to the side in traffic to leave space and other people don't realise until the last second.
Same thing with me. I always allow emergency vehicles to pass. On Sunday I saw an ambulance coming from behind. I was going to turn left. When the left lane opened, I stopped at the beginning of the lane and allowed the ambulance to pass my right side to turn left.
I lost my dad cause a ambulance got to our house too late they could only get the smaller car there and it was too late, this makes me so angry its a emergency vehicle move out the way; a extra couple of minutes for you is life or death to someone else pure selfishness
I’m sorry to hear that, I completely agree
sorry to hear bud and i 100% agree coz if i needed help id want everyone to move like i want to move out the way coz i know someone else needs their help.
People who don't move out of the way of ambulances should be charged with manslaughter if the patient dies, otherwise attempted homicide.
@@TDMFAN I think that's too extreme. Driving without due care and attention at worst.
@@BRAWGWill still need to be charged with something. No penalty for them, death to the person though.
The clip with the corsa and the private hire car was so painful to watch 😬
This lack of awareness just defies belief... appreciate that a handful of seconds could pass whilst people figure out what to do/where to go but those drivers need speaking to by the authorities!
Yeah, that was unbelievable
Yes, I was literally shouting at my screen... ffs!
I'd have been tempted to get out of my car and point at the ambulance while shouting, "Get out of the way!" at the Corsa driver in that scenario.
Remember that emergency services do not expect you to put yourself in danger. If it's too dangerous to pull over then don't, they don't want you to join them in hospital. Hats off to our emergency services.
Thank you so much for covering this. It is something that happens to us several times a day. People just don’t check their mirrors any more.
I agree there, I've noticed that people rarely react positively to emergency vehicles. All it takes is a quick glance in the mirrors every few seconds and to be honest you can often hear emergency vehicles anyway.
Are u complicit in this plandemic? U must know wots going on by now. The gene therapy is euthanasia
@@MCsmileyB I do know what’s going on, because I actually understand virology unlike you conspiracy theorists. I’ve lost 9 colleagues as a result of this pandemic.
The amount of people I see that basically just follow the car infront is frightening. They have absolutely no awareness.
@@CymruEmergencyResponder well said bud and sorry to hear, these conspiracy theorists are the reason covid is as bad as it is.
A lot of drivers panic at the sound of a siren. The first thing I do is try and find out which direction it is coming from, then workout what I can do to help get them on their way. Sometimes you don’t always need to do anything.
Indeed. Was chatting to a paramedic just a while ago, (mum had a fall, and was being assessed, all turned out ok) but he had an idle few mins while his colleague did the ECG.... he said he preferred if drivers on the OTHER side of the road not react at all if his side is clear... lots of people instinctively slow down even when it's not going their way. It makes them wonder if the vehicle driver is going to do something in a panic..
Another issue that can occur is that after everyone has moved over and the emergency vehicle has passed, some drivers then try to take advantage of the situation by pulling out rapidly and flooring it to get ahead of as many other vehicles as possible in front, before they themselves pull back out. There should be some kind of rule / understanding that vehicles are to pull back out maintaining the same order they were originally in, otherwise a dangerous situation can arise.
I thought there was a rule in the highway code about that
Unless you're an Audi driver!
Happens all the time in London. I pull my lorry off to the side to allow emergency vehicles to pass and the traffic behind me suddenly wanna get pass. I've pulled back out before they get passed, and they blare their horns at me as if I'm in the wrong lmao.
Absolutely correct! The offenders are split into two camps - those who are self centered/selfish and those who are completely clueless.
The sad thing is that the private hire vehicle and Corsa probably used this as an opportunity to get themselves a bit further ahead in the queue because, honestly, I think they knew exactly what they were doing. The noise from the ambulance and everyone around them moving out of the way MUST have been apparent to them and if it wasn’t? Well, I don’t think they should be on the road because, as you mentioned, these sorts of delays for emergency vehicles can be the difference between life, or death.
Idiots like that should have their licence revoked. Let's hope they don't need an ambulance and some idiots do this would be a shame.
I think the Corsa was oblivious - headphones or loud music or something. The private hire went to move over eventually, and then did take the opportunity to move forward behind the Corsa instead
@@pwilkinsonliverpool i just said the same thing before i saw this
It's possible the Corsa driver was inexperienced and lacking in common sense. No excuse for the private hire driver, though. Great awareness from the true professional in the lorry.
@@maugre316 As we saw in the recent "blind spot" video, good lorry drivers are near-fanatical mirror-checkers.
100% agree with you on this Ashley.
You are right, there should be space made up the middle. In Roadcraft (the Emergency Services driving manual) this is called "Parting the waves". That was totally shocking behaviour by the drivers of the Corsa and the Private Hire.
Two points.
1) As you say, it's illegal for you to drive through a red light to make space for an Emergency Services vehicle. That's why Emergency Services drivers are trained to switch off their sirens when sitting in a queue at traffic lights. There was a case recently where a driver with a 20-year-plus spotless driving record was fined for going through a red light to let an ambulance past. He may well have saved somebody's life doing it. Sadly, traffic light cameras cannot see the full situation and the Council involved did not waive the fine once the situation was explained. I take their point: anybody could sneak through a red light and then claim they were allowing an ambulance through. But still, it does seem harsh.
2) Another bad place to stop is on a blind corner or just before the crest of a hill. The driver of the Emergency Services vehicle behind us would then be overtaking blind and they are trained to avoid doing that. Again, the siren will go off although the blue lights still flash. That means the driver of the Emergency Services vehicle has realised that this not a safe place to pass. In such a case, we should keep driving until the view is clear, and then pull over: allowing the Emergency Services vehicle to pass as soon as it is safe and legal to do so.
Shocking, although I'm not *too* surprised at the private hire, can't figure out why though haha
@James Stewart My dad having been private hire and hackney carriage, reckons it's that most of them don't care at all about their cars or even driving in general. It's a job that anyone with little qualifications can take up, so many are completely careless as long as the operator's office is giving them jobs.
Many of these Octavia taxis are also bought and owned by their operators or are auction write off purchases. My dad has owned many of these including an ex-police vRS and while they're decent cars he says to stay well clear of any Octavia that's seen taxi usage as the drivers really don't give a single shit about them.
Can I just add, drivers need to appreciate that the response driver behind them can't necessarily see what they can see. Stopping on or just before the brow of a hill or blind bend will delay them as we won't pass if it isn't safe so will wait for you to move forward enough to see that it's safe. Also please don't panic and just slam on, take a second to assess the situation and then react, sometimes it allows smoother and safer progress just to ease off slightly or carry on driving at the speed limit until you reach a safer place to move over.
For those drivers who fail to plan and anticipate their own manoeuvres, hoping that they'll make good decisions to assist other vehicles is a bit of a reach.
Totally agree, find a safe place to pull over. Then pull over.
If I’m out in my car, I’ll usually signal and chuck it into a junction on the left so they can get past.
If I’m out in the work van, I usually hit the hazards so they know I’ve seen them and am actively looking to let them pass and move when safe to do so. I appreciate that the van is as big as the emergency vehicle and they can’t see through / around / over it so are more reliant on me moving out of the way than they would be if I was in my car
The times people stop too close to a traffic island with oncoming traffic too....
I moved to the side when I heard ambulance coming,and about six cars overtook me.....
3:27 you can see that confused hand gesture from the ambulance driver in disbelief. 🚨
omg i didnt see that but thx for pointing that out
I can understand that. Just being in a rush to get to work or to get home or whatever is one thing, but if you’re driving an ambulance with a patient in the back in cardiac arrest then you’ll obviously be worried that the patient might die in the back of the ambulance before you can get them to the hospital. In that situation, those arrogant bastards would have blood on their hands because they prevented paramedics from being able to do what needed to be done. How would you feel as the paramedic? You’ve given it your all, but the patient is with God and Jesus in heaven. It wasn’t even your fault that you lost the patient.
I wouldn't blame them if it was a middle finger either. God damn why is there never a police car around when you want one!
I really wish more emg services vehicles in the UK had bullhorns. Turn off the sirens and blast the bullhorn in these situations, it'll wake people up.
Did the Corsa Driver think he was Moses or something?
Parting the waves is exactly what we call it 😂😂
@@2893whitewolf Or Bruce Almighty with his soup. he has the same facial expression as well
When the private hire eventually pulled to the side he did what I used to see so many do when I was a fireman.
Car turns nose into side of road forgetting that there's another half of the car behind them sticking out into the lane!
The route we took from the fire station most often took us up a one way street where we encountered many of the car drivers doing the same thing as the private hire driver in your video. It's amazing how many people don't know that their car extends beyond the seat they are sat in!
I have a friend who drives an ambulance, he told me one of the biggest things he faces daily are people stopping infront of him when traffic is flowing.
He advised "just keep moving until you can safely pull out of the way, don't stop dead if traffic is moving and slowly inch over."
Of course, road situation dependent, but I'd never even thought of it like that until he told me.
I was once following a car on an empty A road and an ambulance came along in the other direction. The driver in front panicked and stopped suddenly to pull into the verge. I nearly went into the back of them because I wasn't expecting this totally unnecessary and dangerous manoeuvre. People do really stupid things around emergency vehicles.
another obnoxious thing is people who stop in the middle of an intersection. the emergency vehicle may need to turn there.
I don't live in the UK, but still your videos helped me develop the right mind set. Recently got my drivers licence and am enjoying it! My driving instructor told me to constantly keep on the lookout for emergency vehicles, and its a great tip because they could come from anywhere so you have to look everywhere...
This whole video, like so many, can be summed up with "anticipation, anticipation, anticipation"!
If these people display such a lack of awareness of emergency vehicles marked in hi-viz marking with sirens and lights going, imagine their lack of awareness to ordinary road users around them. Astonishing really!
My anxiety just went through the roof watching this, how can they be so dumb/selfish?
I'd like to spend five minutes in their heads just to see what the world looks like to them
It's frustrating how many people appear to drive without due care and attention, or drive carelessly/dangerously. I work in an urban environment and this sort of behaviour happens almost every time I'm driving with lights and sirens on. Thank you for raising awareness and for the channel content in general.
That did make my blood boil but the Corsa driver never moved his head, he's the same bloke who changes lane into you. We live on an ambulance route into our town and it is staggering the utter ignorance displayed (there's one going up the hill right now) by a minority of drivers. There's that many ambulances that I always crack my window open a little so I can hear them from further away.
1:46 has happened to me before. I was rigth at the red, and had no room to move at all.
The red light must have stayed red for a solid 90 seconds...
I live in Weymouth and the traffic lights can stay on red for a solid two minutes sometimes.
It's an awful feeling of guilt knowing that you _could_ help the ambulance reach a choking child, or stroke victim sooner. But you have to sit there and potentially cause another persons death in case you get a £50 fine...
But it's an unfortunate reality. It's similar in China too - often people trying to help are wrongly accused, so ignore people in need.
Great video Ashley ;) being both an ADI and working for the ambulance service very frustrating and unfortunately a daily occurrence. I'm all for improving road safety and awareness. Love you videos.
Sweden has a law that says if you don’t get out of the way you can be facing a prosecution get a ticket or even sentenced to prison for blue light sabotage. I’m always trying to get out of the way or make some room for an emergency vehicle to get through quickly and safely thanks for rising the topic.
@TeflonBilly I thought the same thing but I wasn’t sure thanks for the answer and stay safe and healthy.
I totally agree that the Corsa and PH drivers seemed oblivious to the situation..... they should have their licences revoked!
A proper safety campaign should be on national tv. It just might wake a few people up and help to avoid the situation depicted.
Stay safe everyone 👍
In some countries if you’re in queuing traffic on a multi-lane road you’re meant to leave space for emergency vehicles to pass. Usually lane 2 goes to the left of the lane and lane 3 to the right. There’s signs in traffic hotspots to remind of this.
I always work on the assumption that one day it could be me needing help so i let them through if possible and hope others think as I do
The two drivers just refusing to clear out of the way of the ambulance made my brain hurt. I understand panicking, braking and not moving. Or moving quickly in an unsafe manner, but to just... mosey on as if everything's normal? Good lord.
Imagine your Granny is in the back of that ambulance, you wouldn't be too keen to hold them up then, assuming your Granny didn't get on your bad side.
4:05 that one minute is already enough to make a difference. It might mean some criminal escapes, a person who has a heart attack dies (or to the very least the person's quality of life will be less because of that minute). It might also mean that hedge that was on fire that they could have contained, now jumped to the next-door house. Every second count is not just a saying, literally every second counts when it comes to emergency vehicles.
Writing as a retired police response driver you nailed it when you said awareness. We do understand that there are times where vehicles will block us for a few seconds due to road and traffic conditions, we also understand that on hearing and seeing our emergency equipment being used it can cause some drivers to freeze and/or make irrational decisions.
If all drivers followed the excellent advice you gave in this video emergency response drivers would be very happy.
Omg, I’m finding it difficult not to get annoyed.
I must apologise for my poor grammar. To not get* would probably have been a better way to phrase it.
@@lovepeace5845 I'm so sorry, but I can't resist pointing this out. You were right the first time; "to not get" is a split infinitive and "not to get" is the correct order. We're so used to people getting this wrong we start to think the correct version sounds/looks wrong.
The cab and Corsa were unbelievably poor, the authorities should be able to take action against motorists who are that unaware. They’d certainly be the ones shouting the loudest when the needed an ambulance and it was delayed!!!
Perhaps that last clip is a great example that some drivers, often known as "ambulance chasers", do also try to use the ambulance to gain their own progression with the ambulance behind them
in the US, "ambulance chaser" specifically refers to an unscrupulous personal injury lawyer who solicits accident victims for clients.
As someone who lost a relative who might have been saved if the ambulance had got there sooner, this video makes me so angry.
There should be a law that requires drivers to make best efforts to allow emergency vehicles to pass. Obviously there will be some situations where it won't be possible, but that would be accounted for as a statutory defence against a charge. Clearly it was possible in the clip in this video.
This would also provide a defence against any summons for jumping a red light to allow an emergency vehicle to pass, if you can prove/demonstrate that it was done in the pursuit of "best efforts" to allow the vehicle to pass and did not endanger other road users.
Obviously I'm not a lawyer nor an expert in these things so any such law would require full consultation to ensure it's reasonable and ultimately enforceable, but at the very least it should be explored.
In Germany, drivers are taught that cars brought to a stand on a dual carriageway without a hard shoulder should automatically move left or right to the edge of the carriageway regardless of whether an emergency vehicle is visible, in case one appears. It's so obviously a sensible precaution that ever since I visited Germany I do it as a matter of course.
Man you guys know how to drive, please let me move to Germany.
I remember a few years ago I was driving about half a mile from my home when I realised that there was an ambulance with its blue lights on somewhere behind me heading in the same direction. I pulled to the left with my indicator on, only for a car to pass me despite the ambulance being next behind him. He didn't pull over until the ambulance was right behind with the sirens on. The inattentiveness of such drivers is quite shocking.
Pulling over isn't always the right thing to do if the traffic is free flowing. The ambulance can overtake if necessary.
@@jeremystanger1711 Yes, it depends on the road and the traffic. This was on a single carriageway road where pulling over tends to be the better option.
Does remind me of being stuck on the A40 heading into London, at least two miles to the next junction, traffic at a standstill (probably therefore an accident). Ambulance comes through, with two cars taking advantage of the space everyone generated by surfing after the ambulance, avoiding the queue. Prize arses!!
they’re so excited to chase an ambulance that one day they’ll end up in one
The thing which bothers me is the lack of the driver's situational awareness given what other drivers were clearly doing.
Is that the same sort of failure that leads to collisions in other circumstances.
The problem in the UK is giving way to emergency vehicles is a courtesy. It should be like the US where you have to pull over and stop when it is safe to do so until the emergency vehicle has passed. Most emergency vehicles have cameras on board now and evidence could be used to at least make the type of drivers like the the Corsa and private hire driver take a driver awareness course. I think there should also be more emphasis with learner driver training on how to react to emergency vehicles. As an ex paramedic I have experienced many idiots and many people who possibly just panicked and made a mistake because they didn't know how to react.
very good message! i just got my provisional today and am super excited, have watched your videos for a while now and they have been a great help, especially with the video series with erin!
I was in a similar situation with the ambulance behind me in crawling traffic, so I pulled over in a empty parking bay. Unfortunately the people I was following were utterly clueless.
2:00 as far as I know only in the UK emergency vehicles will switch off the siren in order not to force someone to go through a red light, and you might be fined for doing so; Elsewhere you rather get a fine for not doing so, and emergency vehicles will keep the siren running and might even tell you to move via their PA system
That’s astounding from the Corsa and the taxi - it’s scary how unaware they are of what’s going on around them!
As a driver, even if you’ve not spotted the ambulance, you’d be asking yourself “why is everyone pulling over” and clearly the corsa driver must have assumed it was for him hahaha
I'm going to add a third comment - sorry haha! Just an experience I had a few years ago on a busy motorway. I was in lane 3, an Emergency Blood car comes up behind me at speed but there is no gap for me to move over. I indicate and speed up to try and get in a small gap that's opening ahead but the car in lane 2 blocks me, so I slow again to try and tuck behind and the car behind also speeds up to close the gap! I'm stuck in lane 3 with a load of selfish drivers so blinded by the need to not let anyone in front that they're oblivious to the reason why I'm trying to get into their lane! I ended up flooring it as my lane had cleared ahead and managed to get over further up.
Doesn’t surprise me, INTIME Taxis are one of the worst taxi services in Manchester.
So many clips in Cardiff! Very refreshing as a local here to see what I could be doing better in specific instances, cheers Ash!
The emergency vehicle drivers are trained to work their way around traffic, just take a few moments to assess your surrounding.
If you need to make space because of traffic, then do so when and if there is enough space to do so. And always remember to indicate your intentions to do so for all other road uses.
Sometimes the best coarse of action for emergency services is just to stay in your lane if traffic speed is normal.
Unfortunately it is just too common that people panic and impulsively react without thinking what would be best for the situation.
I'm not sure if you want to chime in here Ashley but I find that is approaching a junction with a emergency vehicle behind, Using hazard lights instead of indicating is less confusing, Indicating may give the impression that your vehicle is intending to proceed to turn at a junction rather than giving way to an emergency vehicle.
The Corsa driver looked like he wanted to get out of the way but...after he passed the traffic first. He must have thought he was killing two birds with one stone.
@James Stewart He did look a bit lost to be honest but he would have heard it. Might have even had music on high from the radio.
I've had music full blast and I can still hear them from miles away
@@TheBoro4eva Maybe he's just dim then 🤷♂️
Disagree - plenty of chances to move over
Regarding the last point - in the event of cardiac arrest, one of the more common reasons for an ambulance to be called out, the chance of survival decreases by around "10%" for every minute that passes, after 8-9 minutes it is likely irreversible brain damage will occur. Few will survive beyond 20 minutes at most.
I drive a large Transit van and trailer. Sometimes if you happen to check the wing mirrors at the wrong time it can be very easy to miss an emergency services vehicle as it's not as obvious as glancing them in the rear view mirror so I'm always on the look out for them. My vehicle has roof mounted beacons so if I spot them early enough I give a quick flash of the beacons to let them know I've seen them and looking for somewhere suitable, been mindful that the trailer is also out of the way.
That last clip is absolutely infuriating. Whether it's downright stupidity (in which case they shouldn't have a license) or selfishness, that could have cost someone their life.
As a Cyclist too, I'm glad to see the cycle lane was there to provide the space to move into. I don't think any of us who choose two wheels will complain about people moving over in this circumstance.
Ashley your videos, but this has to be at the top of pointing out the lack of checking mirrors and turning the volume down a bit.
Superb educational content here. Very informative. Thank you.
Ashley, do you think you could do one for driving on country roads in the dark please? The small ones with no lamp posts or anything.
You may have done it before but I couldn't find any so apologies if I'm asking for a repeat.
Great video and very useful to see all those examples, including the one of how *not* to respond in heavy traffic. Many thanks.
You can see the guy in the corsa eyeball the ambulance in his mirror just before going into statue mode
An excellent video lesson Ashley,
That's no shock to see a taxi/private hire car barging through with little or no respect for others,
Those sirens and flashing lights should be a clear signal that they are in a rush, but it seems to be an everyday occurance now, more than once I've pulled in or made space and not just the car behind has passed me but 3 or 4 before there dull senses kick in and they scramble up the kerb usually scattering pedestrians in their wake,
As for going through the red light to let the emergency vehicle through I know it's illegal but sometimes it's the only manoeuvre possible, and you quite rightly point this out, so long as they're not pulling in front of other traffic and causing a problem I'm quite happy for this to happen
Amazing video Ash; on my blue light response course I was taught there’s three groups of drivers: those who want to help can, those who want to help but don’t know how to and those who don’t give a f##k, sadly more and more people are in the later group. I’ll see if it possible to get a video from our dashboard to give you an idea of what it’s like from our point of view if you like?
That would be very interesting
This reminds me of something earlier I saw, a police car sat with blue lights and sirens sat in a queue of traffic because 1 lorry decided not to make space for the police car. He was sat there in the traffic for a get 30 seconds or more. It's not a matter of whether you want to move, it can be a matter of life or death, a matter of someone being severely harmed both mentally and physically, and by the way the car used his sirens and rushed off afterwards, this situation might have been. These drivers need to ask whether they'd react the same if their family members were at risk if they did things like this. I'm sure they wouldn't if it were their son/daughter/mother/father who were needing the help of the services.
2:12 Was stuck in a standstill on a two lane stretch of motorway when an emergency vehicle started coming up. Everyone decided to split and let them pass in the middle. Except this one lorry on the second lane. He decided that he needs to be in the first lane. And because traffic wasn't moving, he ended up completely across the road, blocking everything up. There's one in every crowd. In that video, there were two.
should be points award to these special people who don't move
3:39 - I don’t think is lack of awareness, they were fully aware of what they were doing (corsa & PHV) they just wanted to minimise their own queueing time in traffic and the ambulance gave them the perfect excuse to jump ahead a few spaces.
Oh that one with the Corsa Driver and the Private Hire. It reminds me of the one and only time I heard my grandfather swearing when I was a child, must have been about 2003 maybe 2004 on a Snowy Day, so I'd be 8/9/10 (November Birthday) and we were on our way to Dundee via the A90..whilst there was works with a Lane Closure and slow moving Queuing Traffic, my grand father saw traffic starting to move over to the edge to make a gap for an ambulance and a Taxi behind us tried to slip through the gap between my grandads Ford Mondeo and a VW Golf alongside of us only to be met with a Porche who move infront of him blocking him from going forward explained in a bit, both the Porche Driver and my grandfather got out as Traffic was Stopped by the workies not too far up the road (they saw the ambulance and just stopped traffic merging in turn for the Lane Closure) and both my grandfather and the Porche driver started swearing at the Taxi Driver to get back behind us because with Traffic stopped.. There was nowhere for him to fit up ahead period. The taxi relented and reversed behind us, Ambulance passed and traffic resumed, Porche driver merged ahead of us, the Golf alongside was positioned to merge behind us and ahead of the Taxi.. But Taxi driver being a dick the Golf had to merge behind him and Taxi proceeded to ride my Grandfather's arse all the way along the single file 40mph snowy works area before taking a turn off before the end of the Works.
reminds me of a situation I had recently where I had a car following too close behind me but I became aware and heard an emergency vehicle on a call was fast approaching further behind, so i did what I would say the right and safe thing to do and indicated and pulled over to the left to allow them past but the car behind me continued on and was totally oblivious that the emergency vehicle was even there and made it difficult for them to pass despite them being right behind them with sirens and flashing lights going.
there is a channel called russian ambulance which shows everything you talked about but from their POV
and it is kinda obvious that driving schools should spend way more time teaching ppl how to drive around emergency vehicles
That Corsa driver needs to be sent to hospital. Felt my blood pressure rising just from watching that.
There's a worrying trend for people to pull across the centre line into oncoming traffic to allow blue lights through. I wish I had footage but my heart's in my throat every time.
As an emergency service vehicle driver who is trained to grade 4 standard (Blue lights except pursuits) there are two things I'd ask of all drivers.
Firstly, if you see blue lights behind you, where safe to do so STOP. Too many people slow down but don't slow to an acceptable speed, an example of this is say they drop to 18mph an hour in a 30. While you maybe going slow enough that you think we can pass, you're still moving and any gap you've created is quickly closing down. Too often I see cars slow down 30m ahead of me with a gap for overtake, only for when I reach them that gap is now gone because they've moved forward and come parallel to a vehicle on the opposite side of the road. If you stop where you are, then the gap remains. If there's another car then often they'll see you've stopped and do the same.
Secondly, think about what you can see. If you can't see that clearly ahead, nor can I. I've often had trucks,vans and large 4x4's stop around on the approaches to a blind corner. I can't overtake into a blind corner, regardless of my training driving has taught me so I have to wait for you to go around or risk it, which I'm never going to do as we have a motto, 'better to arrive late then never'. I know it contradicts my last point, but if you want to stop for an emergency service vehicle but it's going to be in a location where we won't be able to overtake you like blind bends etc, simply keep going at a slower pace around it until the vision increases. That way we can overtake when its clear and safe to do so.
Ive been practising this...I always try to position my car out of the ambulance way or police vehicles...Usually other cars will que behind me but some leave it until last minute...It makes no sense when cars fall in behind the ambulance trying to get their quicker...Im with Ashly Neal on this one...Respecting emergency services is key , one day it could be you or i in the ambulance...I believe in Karma , i ask all of you respect our wonderful emergency services...Its never too late to start 🚑
Best practice I find is leave more space between you and the car in front when traffic builds up. Being able to see the vehicle's rear bumper in front of you gives you space if they roll back, I try to keep more space than that so I have room to manoeuvre more to the side of the road if needed.
@@slyfoxyandalifesaver The problem with this approach is that often you will have that idiot who will slip in if you leave too much space in front. I think this is also the reason why people just don't leave a middle corridor by default, too many idiots will use this to jump the queue. It's sad, but that's how it is.
What a brilliant series of clips by your viewer! Thanks for covering them.
A few observations:
Do not slam on the brakes as soon as you see blue lights behind you.
Do not stop next to a traffic island, double-white lines, at the brow of a hill, etc.
You are not expected to go through a red signal, the emergency vehicle will hold back.
Please just look ahead for a safe gap to give the emergency vehicle space.
Remember that a police vehicle can be going to an emergency even if the blue lights are off. If they are flashing you to move out of the way please do so.
Have a bit of respect for other drivers, don't follow an emergency vehicle through queuing traffic.
Please keep checking your mirrors, especially on fast roads like motorways. More so if you are in a van. Modern insulation and stereos can deafen sirens.
I kid you not, I was walking along South Road in Lancaster which is a tight section of the A6 just outside the hospital when we heard a siren and the cars parted pretty well as you show. The ambulance came through but had an idiot in a three series tailgating, at first we thought it could be a relative but then the Ambulance came to a full stop in the middle of all the traffic with the blues still on. The back door opened the the paramedic pointed at the driver behind and made a "cut it out" gesture. I felt ashamed on the idiots behalf!
We have a lot of stupid drivers in Cardiff, glad to see this person is making emergency services lifes easier
Absolutely shocking driving by the Corsa and the Taxi drivers. Just imagine if a family member was in that ambulance or waiting for an ambulance, lying on the floor bleeding heavily or not breathing? They could die, literally because of a single person's lack of awareness. In my opinion, although it would go unseen, it is just as bad as killing someone by careless driving, yet the driver wouldn't even be aware of it and continue on to work to moan about how bad the traffic was!
As someone with police in the family, the police at least are really highly trained when it comes to pursuit and general high-speed driving. The training takes months (usually 12-18 months for our force) to complete.
I must say that in my town, the one that usually catches people out is when a fire engine is leaving our main station. The road is a dual carriage way but features a cut to allow the fire engine to go both left and right. Too many people blocked this cut off and then didn’t make way for vehicles to make progress. That stretch of road now has a rail crossing-style warning system in place to get people to stop for fire engines to come through.
Great video! It annoys the hell out of me that you can be prosecuted for going through the red light when an emergency vehicle is stuck behind you. Personally, I would move and pay the fine, but I can understand that others wouldn't move.
You'll also get 3 points. The emergency vehicle will go round the other side of the island if they need to get past. In my experience, most emergency vehicle drivers will cancel their sirens and blues if they need to wait for the lights to change so drivers can get out of the way to avoid pressuring drivers into breaking the law.
@@raithrover1976 In my experience, most fire and ambulances will cancel their sirens, the police seldom do though. They just push their way through. Like I said I'd take my chances, but appreciate if others don't. It has to be a personal choice. The law should also be changed.
I once pulled out in front of an ambulance on an A road after the guy in front of me suddenly stopped the flow of traffic from 60 mph and pulled to the left side. The trouble was, his speed and road positioning had been so random for the 15 minutes I'd been stuck behind him, I figured pulling over without any warning was just more of the same. In my frustration, I forgot to check my mirrors. Luckily, the ambulance gave me a loud blast of the horn and was quickly on its way.
Two thoughts. One, the video from the emergancy vehicles dash cam is sent to the police who will take action on any driver blocking an emergency vehicle. Two, why not make it a rule that all vehicles must pull to the left on a single lane road, or if a dual carriage way to the left of lane one, and the right on lane two?
Because a rule like that can't possibly apply in all situations, and people blindly following it would cause more problems than it would solve.
In a lot of other countries they dont make way for emergency vehicles. If youve ever been in Paris for instance it can be quite shocking to see traffic ignore their presence and continue to take up road space where theres room, though you do get the odd private vehicle who will take it upon themselves to make space and gesture at other motorists to get out the way.
I'll be doing a co first responders course soon with blue lights and I think this will be the most frustrating part of the job.
3:34 I had people do this today actually, after pulling over to let a fire engine past they decided it was a great time to overtake as I was pulling back out. Single laned street.
I still get very nervous (as a relatively new driver) when I hear an emergency vehicle. I've been learning to calm down straight away and assess where it's coming from, then act accordingly.
I think there should be Media announcements and Road signs reminding drivers what they SHOULD do when an Emergency Service vehicle is trying to get through traffic.
I have seen many road signs informing drivers in Europe.
Many drivers have not got a clue, thinking that they only need to move over and stop, but if that happens before the ESV gets to them, other road users are sometimes blocked and then nothing moves. More often than not, the driver at the front has a totally clear road ahead of them
I see it often when people who are making good progress on a main road see a blue light and sirens and just freeze to a stop no matter where they are. The correct thing to do is continue driving until there is a safe space to pull over with good vision for the emergency services driver to pass safely. When someone just hits the anchors and stops the ES then has to slow to make sure it's safe to pass. Where if you continue at the speed limit until the road is straight or widens the will be happier. As for going over the stop line you can only do so if instructed by a police officer in uniform
I always think if you see an emergency vehicle someway back move over to the left but don't use your indicators as the driver of the vehicle behind may become fixated with you signalling and not notice the impending blue light directly behind them.
There are other people who panic as soon as they hear the sirens or se the blues and slam on the brakes wherever they are on the road seen that many times.
Worth noting that in the last clip the drivers were entering a mandatory cycle lane. As with the red light case I'd drive into it (after double and triple checking for cyclists) to make way, but again it's something you could, technically, be prosecuted for. However it's very unlikely as cycles lanes are generally less policed than red lights.
"cycles lanes are generally less policed than red lights"
Emergency vehicles can go in cycle and bus lines if it is an emergency.
Yeah uhhhh Brighton's council takes no hostages when it comes to bus and cycle lanes!
As a cyclist, in that situation I would expect drivers to use the space and act accordingly, after all it would only be for a few seconds.
Also there could be more than one emergency vehicle so look before pulling off again. If you are at a junction and there are two or more be aware that they may not be going to the same job and therefore may take different routes.
Surprised there wasn't that one guy who always gets out of the car and starts directing traffic to let emergency services thru
Could have done with someone pulling the driver of the Corsa out of their car :)
It's always a biker that does that
The actions of the Taxi driver baffle me. It looked like at 3:20 he was saying thanks to the cammer driver for letting him through.
Emergency vehicles are supposed to turn the siren off and come to a stop at busy junctions on a red to avoid panicking people through a red light which could be dangerous. There's a junction just off J26 of the M1 where I see this frequently. Lights still on but siren off until the lights change.
Sometimes the worst thing you can do is stamp on the brakes and swerve. Observe, assess, react and recover. Is the emergency vehicle behind you? What’s the traffic like, how many lanes are available etc. Slow down, move over if necessary. Once the emergency vehicle has passed check for chasers before returning to normal road position and speed. [Not an extensive list].
It wasn't lack of awareness, it was lack of intelligence accompanied by an abundance of selfishness.
My understanding is that all emergency vehicles in the UK are fitted with dashcams so there could well be repercussions for the two drivers who refused to move, even if it is just a warning letter in the post. A few years ago, some moron in an expensive German saloon (I can't remember if it was an Audi, BMW or a Merc) ended up with an 18 month ban for overtaking an ambulance on an emergency call on a winding single-carriageway in Aberdeenshire because it was "holding him up". He was convicted on the evidence gathered by the ambulance's dashcam.
I have been driving in Germany this year and on dual carriageways if traffic isn’t moving vehicles routinely create a split down the middle for emergency vehicles to get through (wether there are any blue lights to be seen or not). Didn’t see anyone abuse that.
It's also frustrating that sometimes people just stop to let the emergency vehicle past, but just end up blocking their only route. Sometimes, progressing quickly can be the right thing to do, it just needs to be done safely, and only if you cannot get out of the way
2:02 "Remember, different situations require different responses. And I'm not talking about the emergency services"
Me: Oh look, an Audi 😏🤣
At night if I find an emergency vehicle coming towards me on blues, depending on the road, I tend to slow and turn my head lights off just leaving side lights on as it gives them greater visibility. 2 of my family drive on blues and twos so I get to hear some of their stories. At cross roads or major junctions even if you have the green light always check for emergency vehicles approaching in case they need to go through the red light. The two cars holding up the ambulance were unbelievable
Don't drive at night with just side lights on even if there's an ambulance coming with their blues on. Just leave your lights on low beams/dipped beams until it's safe to put on your high/full beams on if needed. Side lights are virtually useless even the led ones.
I've had a near miss where I turned left at a set of traffic lights. The left turn is at an angle with a bit of a blind spot on your right as you turn, I was shocked when I was nearly hit by an ambulance with blue lights on but didn't turn on their sirens.
I had a green light but I didn't see the ambulance, and the ambulance really should of sounded it's siren if going through a red light.
Regardless if I was in the right or wrong, I don't want to be the reason why someone didn't get emergency medical care quicker. Lesson learnt the hard way.
@@hikaru9624 Dipped beam still reduces the visibility of oncoming traffic. My headlights will be off for what, 20 seconds and my speed reduced? Not quite as dramatic as you make out.
I wouldn't recommend turning to sidelights in an area which is not street lit, dipped beams aren't an issue and if you're still moving, even if your speed is reduced, you're not going to see a pedestrian or other obstacle, could be causing more problems than you're solving.
@@radishpea6615 it takes less than 20 seconds for things to go wrong. You'd be surprised at how invisible you can look with just tiny side lights on. But you do you, I'm gonna stick to my low beams when driving at night with other traffic (obviously using high beams when safe to do so).
This video vaguely reminds me of a video CobraEmergencyVideos filmed and uploaded a few years ago, it was somewhere like Nottingham or Northampton but a Citroen passed a set traffic lights as soon as they went green but didn't pay attention to an ambulance responding to an emergency coming from the right hand side of them, so the ambulance nearly t-boned the Citroen. Surprisingly it took a while to find the video again, I thought it would be more popular but it only has 20k views - yet I've seen the clip on other channels before.