On Sun, 9 Apr 2017 00:06:28 +0100, "NY" wrote:
"T i m" wrote in message
news
That's why the rules are there ... not for when good intentioned
things go right, but for when they don't.
Yes. Fair enough. You make a good case.
Thanks. Unfortunately they aren't 'my cases' but the laws of that lad
that are set in place by (in most cases) common sense (for the
circumstances) and our democracy.
It feels wrong and inhuman and callous not to do everything humanly possible
to let the ambulance past.
Agreed, and most do, however there are limits and you have to consider
just how much danger you might put someone else in whilst trying to
allow an ambulance though that *might* only be going to what turns out
to be a false alarm or (in comparison to the motorcyclist you now have
under your car), 'low priority'.
I've was once stuck as the first car at lights with an ambulance right
behind me wanting get past. I knew that if I wasn't there he would have had
authority to got through the lights on red. He was blocked from overtaking
on the wrong side by traffic coming from my right which was turning left (ie
towards us). That traffic really should have stopped at their green light to
let the ambulance through, but for whatever reason it didn't - not one
single car had the common decency to let the ambulance overtake.
Yup.
I was very frustrated that there was nothing (legal) I could do to let the
ambulance past until the lights turned green and I was able to go through
and turn left to let him past. I actually wanted to go straight on but if
I'd done that he'd have had to overtake me after the lights and there was a
long stream of traffic queueing for the lights that would have prevented him
doing so for some distance.
Yup, very frustrating for them I'm sure.
I wish I'd been able to say "sorry: I *want* to let you through but I'm
prevented only by the fear of being done for going through red lights. I
just hope those 30 seconds or so weren't critical for the life of the
patient.
Yup, we have all been there and 'of course' try to do what we can.
However, the laws re exactly what we can do are there fore a good
reason and those who actually know what they are can decide when and
where they break them, if that's what they feel inclined to do.
There really does need to be a better way of letting emergency vehicles
through, but I can see the problems with changing the law to let road users
proceed, even with caution, through red lights or into a bus lane.
Quite, and hence why we have what we have now. Pull into a bus lane or
hard shoulder to allow a police car though and then block the
ambulance that's following up. Pull across the lights and hit a
motorcycle or block access to the fire engine coming in from the other
direction.
Perhaps
the only solution is for emergency vehicles to be able to turn red lights
green, which would a) stop conflicting traffic coming from left and right,
and b) allow vehicles in front to go though legally.
They can already, although I'm not sure if they do over here atm.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traffic_signal_preemption
http://www.ambulancetoday.co.uk/news...16-copenhagen/
I suppose security of
such a mechanism against abuse and hacking is the main reason why it's never
been implemented.
https://www.wired.com/2005/08/traffi...hit-red-light/
But it has been implemented (see above) and may be coming for
passenger cars as well. ;-)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/scie...led-in-UK.html
I just hope if I do need an emergency vehicle that the Wilkinson troll
isn't out on the road ignoring the laws of the land and potentially
causing even more accidents (that said vehicles are obliged to stop
and deal with).
The rules aren't setup for you or me, they are set up to be able to
prosecute Wilkinson or anyone else taking the rules into their own
hands.
Cheers, T i m