damoq:
To those of you who wouldn’t move through a red light, how would you feel if the emergency vehicle was on route to save someone in your family?
The emergency services are trained to pick their way around you. You have to move over if you can, but if lights are against you, you should not endanger yourself or other road users.
Emergency vehicles on authorised blue light runs are still governed by road traffic laws, however they are allowed certain dispensations. Ask any ambulance / fire engine / response police car driver and they will all tell you they would all rather you move over to the left and let them decide how best to make progress and they would not expect you to contravene a red light for them. As stated, if they cannot make progress, they will turn off their ancillary equipment (sirens, lights etc) until such time as they can procede.
switchlogic:
No I wouldn’t. I’ve known at least two people from when I was working in London who got points and the ambulance in one case and fire engine in another was no defence for them. Am I right in remembering only the police can break traffic laws and in theory ambulances and fire engines could in theory be done themselves for going through a red? Obviously they never are.
Actually they can’t. The only vehicle that can legally run a red light is a Royal mail vehicle.
Just a bit of useless crap i discovered some years back on who wants to be a millionaire.
damoq:
To those of you who wouldn’t move through a red light, how would you feel if the emergency vehicle was on route to save someone in your family?
The emergency services are trained to pick their way around you. You have to move over if you can, but if lights are against you, you should not endanger yourself or other road users.
Emergency vehicles on authorised blue light runs are still governed by road traffic laws, however they are allowed certain dispensations. Ask any ambulance / fire engine / response police car driver and they will all tell you they would all rather you move over to the left and let them decide how best to make progress and they would not expect you to contravene a red light for them. As stated, if they cannot make progress, they will turn off their ancillary equipment (sirens, lights etc) until such time as they can procede.
By definition, Blue lights on an emergency vehicle are for the purpose of making you aware of the vehicle around you, not to instruct you to move. There’s no actual law saying you should move for one, it’s just good practice to do so.
To answer the OP, I’d do my best to make as much room as possible, if needs be inch over the line but I wouldn’t go right across.
As told to me by both a firefighter and copper. When on blues and twos, a red traffic light, junction etc is to be treated as a give way, and they are to slow down. If they don’t and they are involved in an accident they are likely to be prosecuted.
switchlogic:
The only vehicle that can legally run a red light is a Royal mail vehicle.Just a bit of useless crap i discovered some years back on who wants to be a millionaire.
my mate got pulled at international truckstop gate 14 m6 south by vosa unmarked Royal Mail just before Xmas! coppers face was a picture once he produced said documentation! on your way drive
ROG:
As this site is full of professional drivers who know how to weigh up sensible options when driving then I thought this poll might get interesting as well as any comments on the subject
Unlikely to be an issue when driving a LGV because its unlikely that there will be a safe place to move it to but most of us also drive cars so what would you do when driving your car ?
You are the first and only vehicle at a set of red traffic lights which have a red light camera and they have just changed to red and the wait will be quite some time before they change
An emergency vehicle on blues & twos comes up from behind and the only way for it to proceed is for you to pull over the stop line into a safe space but the camera will get you
Do you move ?
Now add a bit more to the senario … especially for those that said NO …
Your Other Half has just called you on the hands free mobile and said that your child needs an urgent amblance and they have called for one … you are on your way back to your other half/child when this blue lighted ambulance is behind you in the senario presented …
degsy4wheels:
As told to me by both a firefighter and copper. When on blues and twos, a red traffic light, junction etc is to be treated as a give way, and they are to slow down. If they don’t and they are involved in an accident they are likely to be prosecuted.
Likewise any motorists blocking an emergency vehicle at a red light. If it is safe to do so then move out of the bloody way.
I pity any driver who is unable to make a decision based upon the circumstances of the moment & chooses to stick to a rule of not passing any & all red lights.
ROG:
Your Other Half has just called you on the hands free mobile and said that your child needs an urgent amblance and they have called for one … you are on your way back to your other half/child when this blue lighted ambulance is behind you in the senario presented …NOW will you move ?
no, they can overtake or use the other side of the road into oncoming traffic! IT’S UPTO THEM!
In regards to the OP.
No I wouldn’t move.
Jumping a red light will always be illegal.
However, you are not required by law to move out of the way of any vehicle displaying blues and twos. The lights and siren are there to indicate to you the importance of their journey.
ROG:
As this site is full of professional drivers who know how to weigh up sensible options when driving then I thought this poll might get interesting as well as any comments on the subject
Unlikely to be an issue when driving a LGV because its unlikely that there will be a safe place to move it to but most of us also drive cars so what would you do when driving your car ?
You are the first and only vehicle at a set of red traffic lights which have a red light camera and they have just changed to red and the wait will be quite some time before they change
An emergency vehicle on blues & twos comes up from behind and the only way for it to proceed is for you to pull over the stop line into a safe space but the camera will get you
Do you move ?
Now add a bit more to the senario … especially for those that said NO …
Your Other Half has just called you on the hands free mobile and said that your child needs an urgent amblance and they have called for one … you are on your way back to your other half/child when this blue lighted ambulance is behind you in the senario presented …
NOW will you move ?
Oh for gods sake how elaborate do you want to get with these scenarios. What do you think? You’d give up everything for your own child or family doesn’t mean you should for everybody elses.
It’s a fine line, if you knew that going through a red light had made a difference and somebody’s life had been saved it might be worth it. On the other hand if you got the points and trouble only to find a bin had been put out it most certainly wouldn’t be worth it.
In a similar vein I was driving down the M5 in the early hours when it was reduced to one lane with a 40mph limit for over a mile.
The policeman behind me with blues and twos and flashing headlights going full blast clearly thought I should speed up; but I held my ground, and at the end the gestures from the occupants were not exactly saying “well done.”
Usually any such FPNs are voided at source and any that slip through are voided when contested by the driver
The only cases that I can find where a driver got done for such is where the driver decided not to contest
There isn’t a court in the land that will punish you for passing a red light “WHEN IT IS SAFE TO DO SO” to enable an emergency vehicle to continue on its way.
I pity any driver who feels unable or unwilling to make that decision when/if the situation arises.
I did it last year and received a nip in the post, I wrote back explaining what happened and got a letter back telling me no further action would be taken.
lanerover:
I did it last year and received a nip in the post, I wrote back explaining what happened and got a letter back telling me no further action would be taken.
That backs up my earlier statement
With the facts now in mind, would those that said NO be prepared to change their thinking on this issue ?
I must admit that I am a little surprised that the poll has so many saying NO …
still wouldn’t move 
, and that includes my adorable wife and three children! 
they’re highly trained and it’s THEIR job, and THEIR responsibility 
