Viewing 12 posts - 41 through 52 (of 52 total)
  • emergency vehicles in traffic jams
  • Gary_C
    Full Member

    To those thinking of overtaking an emergency vehicle (within the speed limit of course), what happens when, further down the road, you get stuck in traffic & the previously overtaken emergency vehicle catches you up & has to spend precious time manouvering around you?

    Better not to overtake them in the first place imho.

    bruneep
    Full Member

    Wonder if anyone can confirm, but aren’t Fire Engines limited to 60 mph ?

    Yes an no, Some we have are limited. Those that aren’t when they are empty they certainly nip on. Add 2000ltrs water, fully laden with kit and crew they are not so quick.

    I’m told its possible to “adjust” the limiter with a 10mm spanner.

    Keva
    Free Member

    I followed a police car in the same manner once. After a while the passenger in the police car began to wave his arm out the window. I don’t think they liked being followed very much.

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    PeterPoddy
    Free Member

    Woulda thought its pretty dangerous esp for a motorbike. Everyone’s going to be looking at the flashing loud shiny thing that just passed, not the minnow in its wake.

    HaHaaHaaaa! No, not at all, nothing could be further from the truth. There’s no difference at all in the reactions and observation of the general dozy car driving public, but you DO have a LOT MORE SPACE once the sirens have punched a hole in the traffic, making thing s a lot easier. 🙂

    meehaja
    Free Member

    I don’t think it is illegal, but its quite dangerous and means the emergency vehicle has to slow down and watch the div behind as well as whats going on in front.

    As an aside, travelling in convoy with sirens on, I’ll often hang back quite a distance, to make sure motorists don’t just pull out after the first vehicle is past without looking

    klumpy
    Free Member

    Woulda thought its pretty dangerous esp for a motorbike. Everyone’s going to be looking at the flashing loud shiny thing that just passed, not the minnow in its wake.

    I remember being passed by a fire engine that immediately stopped so a guy could leap out and grab a clipboard that had fallen out or off of it! From then on I “took advantage of the conditions” caused by a succession of fire engines passing me. As they battered their way through rush hour single lane rural roads with frequent narrow villages the traffic coming the other way was reduced to pulses with big gaps and the traffic going my way was reduced to a crawl. Not much different to bin day really.

    rocketman
    Free Member

    Emergency vehicles are not permitted to pressurise you out of the way. One person’s life is no more important than another and ambulances are not even an emergency service they’re an essential service.

    This is not to say you can impede them but at the same time you don’t have to swerve into the kerb/drive into a ditch/mount the pavement to let them overtake.

    Woody
    Free Member

    Emergency vehicles are not permitted to pressurise you out of the way. One person’s life is no more important than another and ambulances are not even an emergency service they’re an essential service.

    Idiot 🙄

    richmtb
    Full Member

    Other traffic moved out its way and I just stayed behind the ambulance.
    I didn’t really see an issue with this – they were moving out the way to let the ambulance passed anyway. If the ambulance hadn’t been in front of me I would have just overtaken the slower traffic anyway.

    Dunno if it’s against the law, but certainly not being courteous to those who have also moved out the way to let an emergency vehicle by, would there be owt wrong with letting them back in?

    Its not really very courteous to pull onto a road in front of traffic that is travelling at the normal speed for that road though is it? I wasn’t tailgaiting the ambulance I was following at a safe distance. One or two cars did move back onto the road. But as it was quiet (and they were travelling at least 30mph slower than me) I just went round them anyway.

    spchantler
    Free Member

    Emergency vehicles are not permitted to pressurise you out of the way. One person’s life is no more important than another and ambulances are not even an emergency service they’re an essential service.

    wow. you’re right, no persons life is more important than another, but some people’s sometimes need for medical attention is greater than yours.
    its obvious, let the ambulance/fire engine/police past, then join in the order you stopped. following an ambulance/ fire/ police is stupid. to all those saying its ok, this is why i don’t ride on roads. if this is what people think on a CYCLING forum….jesus

    spchantler
    Free Member

    Emergency vehicles are not permitted to pressurise you out of the way. One person’s life is no more important than another and ambulances are not even an emergency service they’re an essential service.

    wow. you’re right, no persons life is more important than another, but some people’s sometimes need for medical attention is greater than yours.
    its obvious, let the ambulance/fire engine/police past, then join in the order you stopped. following an ambulance/ fire/ police is stupid. to all those saying its ok, this is why i don’t ride on roads. if this is what people think on a CYCLING forum….jesus

    I’m told its possible to “adjust” the limiter with a 10mm spanner.

    Possibly, on some older vehicles maybe. Pre 1990ish at a guess.
    There is no mechanical linkage to adjustor disconnect on modern vehicles though, everything’s done via the ECU these days. Easy enough for a dealer with a laptop and the correct password.

Viewing 12 posts - 41 through 52 (of 52 total)

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