[Closed] Emergency vehicles and Bus Lanes

[i]they held themselves up waiting for me to move[/i]

I suspect they don't undertake because too many of them get sideswiped by people who only realise they have a blue light job near them once it draws level on the inside and then try and pull over in a panic.

Ambulances are not permitted to pressurise you or break the law or cause another problem. My understanding is that they are classified as an essential service and not an emergency service like the police, fire or coastguard.

Case in point only last night an ambulance had to wait at a traffic-light controlled roundabout behind yours truly and some other cars because there was a police car in the other lane and no-one wanted to be the first to go through a red light in full view of the plod, ambulance or no ambulance

The driver of the police car took no action to assist the ambulance's progress

Personally i would have pulled over into the bus lane to let the ambulance overtake on the right as thats where we expect overtaking to be done, if ambulances started overtaking on the left and right as a matter of course I think it would lead to all sorts of confusion.

As for the traffic light incident, I'd go through the lights plod or not. If I were to get a fine in either case I'd contest it but if I lost the appeal and had to pay I'd still do the same in future.

They can't all get it right every time.

On my way home on Tuesday, I came around the corner on a national speed limit road to find two cars on the opposite side being tailgated and hassled by an Ambulance car.

They were hugging the kerb but correctly not stopping as it was not a suitable place for the ambulance to pass, but the ambulance moved out and straddled the centre line, causing the cars to try and squeeze even closer to the kerb and slow down.

The intentions of the ambulance were mixed to say the least and I ended up slamming on the brakes and moving to the left to avoid a possible near miss, locked up the inside front wheel in the dirt creating a cloud of dust and broke yet another damn mug in the back! But the biggest issue was the ambulance caused me to do an emergency stop after a blind bend as he was intimidating the other drivers and taking up a dangerous position.

Inevitably the other two cars saw me stopping and decided to do the same, but stopping opposite me so the ambulance had to squeeze through 🙄

dooosuk - Member
...trying to get me to move out of the way (which I eventually did).

So I'm assuming the drivers aren't allowed to use the Bus Lanes as they're subject to the same fines. Is that correct? Is it then fair that the public risk being ticketed when they are made to make way for the emergency vehicle?

not fair at all nor is delaying an emergency response ... here we go

indicate left
gently brake
turn left into the bus lane
brake and come to a standstill
let emergency vehicle pass
set of back into traffic lane when safe to do

very unlikely to be pulled by a camera and if you do get a fine then start a facebook page asking people to contribute to your life saving effort

First examination would suggest it would be much easier for an emergency vehicle to drive up the inside lane.

But on 2nd thoughts it could come across a bus stopped with passengers getting off/on and is thus unable to get our of the way (even worse if it is currently using it's lowering system).

So probably makes more sense for people to get out of the way and into bus lanes.

Plenty of cases of people getting fined though. But google threw up some common sense from Manchester city council:

http://www.manchester.gov.uk/info/100011/roads_parking_and_transport/698/bus_lane_rules

There are instances when you may have no other choice but to move into a bus lane. For example:

to avoid an obstruction in the road, such as roadwork or a spillage.
to make way for an emergency services vehicle.
to avoid an accident.
If you have to move into a bus lane, please do so only for as long as is required.

CCTV cameras are used to record vehicles driving or parking in bus lanes. All recordings are checked for mitigating circumstances.

London policy is the same I think.

I'd happily drive my Fire Engine in a bus lane when on blues.

I'd happily drive my Fire Engine in a bus lane when on blues.

probably just got to trust the judgement & experience of the emergency services driver at the time and in the conditions I guess.

If you see a nice clear stretch of bus lane up ahead it may make sense to just blat it up it.

If you've got fragmented traffic, taxis and busses in the bus lane, junctions etc it might be a different story.

Ambulances are not permitted to pressurise you or break the law or cause another problem. My understanding is that they are classified as an essential service and not an emergency service like the police, fire or coastguard.

They are allowed to speed. A 999 ambulance sounds like an emergency vehicle to me.

No statutory provision imposing a speed limit on motor vehicles shall apply to any vehicle on an occasion when it is being used for [F2fire and rescue authority], ambulance or police purposes, if the observance of that provision would be likely to hinder the use of the vehicle for the purpose for which it is being used on that occasion.

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1984/27/section/87

no-one wanted to be the first to go through a red light

Under no circumstance should anybody go through a red light unless instructed to do so by the Police. The emergency Services would not expect anybody to go through a red light either.

http://www.bluelightaware.org.uk/?p=239

That's interesting. The blue light video says don't go into bus lanes, the Manchester site says it's ok to.

The blue light video says don't go into bus lanes, the Manchester site says it's ok to.

Then don't go into bus lanes unless you're in Manchester.

(Presumably bus lane enforcement falls to the local councils, so local bylaws would apply?)

Under no circumstance should anybody go through a red light unless instructed to do so by the Police. The emergency Services would not expect anybody to go through a red light either.

Under no circumstance should anybody go through a red light unless instructed to do so by the Police. The emergency Services would not expect anybody to go through a red light either.

I've done it before, but it appears that it was the wrong thing to do. Shan't do it again.

The blue light video says don't go into bus lanes, the Manchester site says it's ok to.

On that one I'm going to stick with using the bus lane to get myself out of the way if it's looks right regardless of where in the country I am, it's stupid that the guidance changes from one part of the country to another. Am I really expected to check the local bylaws for each district that i pass through on a journey?

What if you are driving a bus but not in the bus lane?

our drivers (fire service) using bus lane as it's easy to to get boxed in It's easier to part the traffic if you take the middle of the road.

Must be a tough job driving those ambulances considering the idiots on the roads these days. I've had full on fist shaking swerving at me abuse when riding my motorbike when I've slowed to let ambulances past and the car behind hasnt liked it because they are too ****ing dumb to looknin their mirrors.

I would usually avoid using bus lane on blue lights wary of people pulling into it and prefer to be in the centre parting traffic

Must be a tough job driving those ambulances considering the idiots on the roads these days. I've had full on fist shaking swerving at me abuse when riding my motorbike when I've slowed to let ambulances past and the car behind hasnt liked it because they are too **** dumb to looknin their mirrors.

Indeed. The other day I watched as a car pulled over because there was an ambulance coming, and the car behind it (in front of the ambulance) pulled out to overtake it with the ambulance still behind. Barely noteworthy behaviour, I've seen it so many times.

As Bruneep says, the centre of the road is generally (not always) better in moving traffic for the emergency services:
Both oncoming and same direction traffic can see you
Everyone expects you to overtake on their offside
You are (generally) furthest away from the most vulnerable, e.g. cyclists and pedestrians
You're less likely to get boxed in, and both lanes can give you in effect twice the space by moving nearside

On the other hand the public aren't exempt from bus lanes, traffic lights, etc.
I would expect that most prosecutions would result from a camera, and the immediate presence of the emergency services would often be plain to the decision-maker, who would hopefully make an informed decision, but that has to be your jeopardy

Oops I missed out a "don't" typing on phone....

Our drivers don't use bus lanes as you can get boxed in. Other thing some idiots like to do is tailgate us in the space we have created.

I remember being told the only time I was allowed to skip a red light (if safe to do so) was to allow an emergency vehicle to pass. In fact it may even have been in my practical test (with breaking the speed limit as another option to catch you out, you cannot do that).

[url= http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/fined-driver-cleared-thanks-to-men-926523 ]Discretion at work[/url]