talking to one of our drivers today and was told he got a fixed penalty for crossing a red light camera a couple of weeks ago…scenario was he was waiting at a set of lights to turn left as the lanes were left hand land turn left only and the right hand lane was straight on and turn right only…while waiting at a red light he was in the left hand land to turn left and no other vehicles in front or beghind,righthand lane had about 10 cars which were either turning right or going straight on…ambulance with blues and sirens comes up the left hand lane beghind him as its the smaller que and also the opposite side off the dual carriageway has queing traffic which the emergency vehicle has not got a chance to get past on coming traffic and waits for him to make his move…so as a professional driver he starts turning left as there is nothing coming his way and lets the response vehicle thru to there emergency destination…4 days later NIP in transport office for running a red light,he explained the situation and appealed but appeal was refused stating "all emergency vehicles drivers are trained to go around any obstruction so the vehicle that crossed the camera marker is to blame for his actions and he will be liable for his actions"WTF…very very harsh I belive!
Disgraceful!
So what are drivers meant to do? make the emergency vehicle wait and not risk a penalty?
Probably then get sued for delaying the emergency vehicle by the person the emergency vehicle was going to help…
The world is nuts!!!
Yes its amazing that they can get away with that. Publish letter in the local paper. They can’t tell you to break the law, which is why there is no official guidance on the matter.
there’s no legal obligation to giveway to any emergency vehicle …
you cannot be pursued in any court for not giving way to any said vehicle the fact that they have Blue lights and horns has no right of way as they are used just to bring to the attention of their presence…
As said a bit harsh and I would be inclined to get a log No of the vehicle that was responding to a call at the time of the offence ( all emergency vehicles have telemetry equipment fitted and will show time location and active systems on the vehicle at the time, , so I have been told . ) an have that produced as evidence that as a pro driver you were allowing an emergency vehicle to progress without hindrance.
I’ve pulled across a junction and blocked a roundabout before now to allow traffic to flow giving them access to a clear road.
I take a still with my dashcam whenever I move for one now.
I always move, and will go through a junction or lights if I have to, but if i started being fined for the pleasure of it I would soon stop.
yep gonna have to ■■■■ it up. London is the one place i would never cross a red light or line.
Emergency vehicles are advised to turn the sound off the siren when coming unto red lights so people don’t panic and just drive through.
I can’t remember what the program was on TV but they was talking to a fireman and he said people shouldn’t cross red lights to let them through.
There’s a video on YouTube the police have often referred to as an example. I will have to find the right one when I get a moment.
Can’t speak for the Ambo’s, but we are trained to hang back at red lights, if there are vehicles at it, turn the horns off and wait. If people choose to jump the light, to let us by, that is then their choice. Not saying that is what happened in the case above, if your mate did feel pressured by the positioning of the vehicle, and if it was using its horns still, I think he probably should have a valid case.
Sounds like an automated ticket- although emergency vehicles could use the opposite side of the road perhaps this wasn’t an option.
H & S gone mad- as sometimes we need to put ourselves in a dubious position to assist emergency vehicles, course the other side of the coin is that we could cause more problems in doing so.
One things for sure, at the time my thoughts are more on getting out of the way rather than considering what repercussions may appear in the post.
A simple appeal could work in this situation.
Did the advanced doctor car course so I could help out driving one of the drs at wires place of work.
Was told that cars are being told not to move for blue lights.
Apparently emergency vehicals are trained to go round.so cars dont have to move.
So in’t wagon I dont go throu reds now.
Just waiting to be upgraded by drs soon for driving the weekend response car… which comes with blues and a 5 day driving course.
nick2008:
there’s no legal obligation to giveway to any emergency vehicle …you cannot be pursued in any court for not giving way to any said vehicle the fact that they have Blue lights and horns has no right of way as they are used just to bring to the attention of their presence .
try telling that to the jumped up idiot i had banging on my signalbox door a few years ago just pressed the initiation button for the level crossing barriers when i heard it in the distance and rapidly approaching ended up sat at the barriers lights flashing whilst a long freight train trundled through . ambulance crew acknowledged my apologetic hands up gesture but not the colonel blimp type who came banging on the door demanding to know why i hadnt put the barriers back up to allow the Ambulance through . no amount of explaining that this would have meant my replacing signals to danger which automatically locks the crossing up for five minuets so would of gained nothing would get through to him so gave him my name and my managers number so he could report me as he was threatening to funnily enough never did here anything from my boss
If the driver in the first post did nothing UNSAFE then this will be the first case I have ever known to lead to a prosecution
Did the driver contest this in the magistrates court 
- if yes did the driver have the press in court
Latique:
nick2008:
there’s no legal obligation to giveway to any emergency vehicle …you cannot be pursued in any court for not giving way to any said vehicle the fact that they have Blue lights and horns has no right of way as they are used just to bring to the attention of their presence .
try telling that to the jumped up idiot i had banging on my signalbox door a few years ago just pressed the initiation button for the level crossing barriers when i heard it in the distance and rapidly approaching ended up sat at the barriers lights flashing whilst a long freight train trundled through . ambulance crew acknowledged my apologetic hands up gesture but not the colonel blimp type who came banging on the door demanding to know why i hadnt put the barriers back up to allow the Ambulance through . no amount of explaining that this would have meant my replacing signals to danger which automatically locks the crossing up for five minuets so would of gained nothing would get through to him so gave him my name and my managers number so he could report me as he was threatening to funnily enough never did here anything from my boss
Who was the blimp? Just some random member of the public?
I heard a discusion on the radio a few days ago about this, saying the same thing. They were saying if you go through a red light to let them get past you then expect a fine and points on your licence if caught on camera.
Strange. I did exactly the same a few year ago and got away with it, again fire engine chose my lane as it had least vehicles, i pulled out safely on the edge/verge and let it through and got a NIP for my efforts, they checked what id said against the emergency log and summed up it was a genuine reason and let me off.
I’d run a red light to let blues through, [zb] the 3 points.
Zactly the sort of thing the OP mentions that makes me ashamed of this country sometimes.
I was on a building site the other day, yellow high viz, helmet, gloves for the straps, safety boots with laces Mullins.
Straps off, they tipping, go for a ■■■■■, suit man who you work for? Me. Where’s your orange vest? Not got one, where’s your gloves? In the cab. Just going to bog, will not be prancing around the site with my willy out. Broad daylight. Ok, well not birch you this time.
Tipped. Walk 50 metres through middle of flat as a pancake site with no mech for 50 metres.
Where’s your gloves? In the cab, you gots to wear them all the time. Right ok.
I mean WTF? Admittedly the suit was the H&S weekly mooch round but wear your gloves even when you ain’t using your hands■■?
& when did orange become more fashionable than yellow? I gotta bin all me yellow & paint mysel orange now.
I just agree with them to get out the gate, bet some blokes would have a field day though.
Don’t even think about wearing shorts. What about my sweaty ■■■■■■■■ H&S?
Even if I do have an accident on your site, I ain’t gonna sue you for me being a ■■■■■
My danger sensors are better than James Bond as I’ve done mech work all me life, you ain’t taking me out on your site.
georgy:
Strange. I did exactly the same a few year ago and got away with it, again fire engine chose my lane as it had least vehicles, i pulled out safely on the edge/verge and let it through and got a NIP for my efforts, they checked what id said against the emergency log and summed up it was a genuine reason and let me off.
They usually photo the emergency vehicle within seconds of you doing it and never send out the NIP - for some reason that did not happen in your case
Its not a legal let off but a moral one
I thought the principle of English law was that one was entitled to be tried by one’s equals. In which case refuse to pay and insist on trial by judge and jury, taking the further option if convicted of going to jail rather then paying any fine.
The potential cost to the KGB and surrounding bad publicity should result in the penalty being waived.