Anyone…
Know why so many ambulances do blue light runs now but never use the sirens?
Saw one yesterday, blue lights on struggling through traffic clearly in a hurry but, in complete silence.
I think you will find they are taught to cancel the sirens in traffic jams and just leave the blues on, sitting there wit sirens blaring in stationary traffic is more likely to panic some drivers and make the situation worse, if they need to find a way through they will as soon as they can.
+1…to the above…thats it…theyre told to switch them off at red lights and traffic jams.
As above and now they just sit there in the traffic moaning about how the job’s f----d nowadays
Possibly to reduce stress to patient.
muckles:
Maybe this chaps letter had some effect.
Let’s hope this chap never needs the emergency services in a hurry. I live near both a fire station and an ambulance station and hear sirens throughout the day. I am grateful that they are not on their way to assist me.
Fincham:
muckles:
Maybe this chaps letter had some effect.Let’s hope this chap never needs the emergency services in a hurry. I live near both a fire station and an ambulance station and hear sirens throughout the day. I am grateful that they are not on their way to assist me.
Having spent 5 years working in Tunbridge Wells, I could believe it to be a serious letter, but I hope his tongue was firmly in his cheek when he wrote it. 
Anybody think that some of the blue lights these ambulances and police use now are too bright at night ? Had one overtake me the other morning on an unlit motorway and boy they were absolutely blinding when it went pass me .
Policy is to kill the siren if your way is blocked. It is to prevent the panic driver in front from jumping a red light and into traffic.
yourhavingalarf:
Anyone…Know why so many ambulances do blue light runs now but never use the sirens?
Saw one yesterday, blue lights on struggling through traffic clearly in a hurry but, in complete silence.
Because so many muppets drive around with headphones stuffed in their ears and don’t bother to use mirrors.
bald bloke:
Anybody think that some of the blue lights these ambulances and police use now are too bright at night ? Had one overtake me the other morning on an unlit motorway and boy they were absolutely blinding when it went pass me .
I agree, they are not really necessary at the rear of the vehicle when it is travelling with the flow of the traffic.
bald bloke:
Anybody think that some of the blue lights these ambulances and police use now are too bright at night ? Had one overtake me the other morning on an unlit motorway and boy they were absolutely blinding when it went pass me .
Was thinking this last night m62 unlit 2.30am only me and the ambulance on it every light going and full horns 
wouldn’t mind you could see him coming from about ten miles away !!!
Also on the unlit part of the a64 towards Scarborough who’s idea was it to put the massive
Spotlamps in the roadworks pointing towards the traffic just where the lanes narrow 
bald bloke:
Anybody think that some of the blue lights these ambulances and police use now are too bright at night ? Had one overtake me the other morning on an unlit motorway and boy they were absolutely blinding when it went pass me .
Pleased it’s not just me that thinks that. It’s really bad when passing an incident and there are a few of them there and to cap it all, they leave their zb headlights on as well. The traffic management guys are bad for it too.
Fleetwood mick:
bald bloke:
Anybody think that some of the blue lights these ambulances and police use now are too bright at night ? Had one overtake me the other morning on an unlit motorway and boy they were absolutely blinding when it went pass me .Pleased it’s not just me that thinks that. It’s really bad when passing an incident and there are a few of them there and to cap it all, they leave their zb headlights on as well. The traffic management guys are bad for it too.
and how mant times have you seen some idiot not look in there miriors for mile after mile with an emergency vehicle stuck behind them blues and twos on completley oblivios that they are there the brighter and louder the lights and sirens the beter
Well at night someone with photosensitive epilepsy should be careful because some of them are very bright.
There are some cracking videos on YouTube of a police driver trainer showing how it’s done.
The whole time, every second he is talking about what he is doing and why. It’s exhausting to watch.
He frequently mentions sirens off or blocked passage. He always blipped the horn when approaching pedestrian crossings, or other crossings to warn people he is coming through. Also if he saw someone pulled up at the side of the road he would blip, incase they blindly got out of the car.
Pretty impressive really.
Edit… found it
Are you obliged, legally or otherwise, to jump a red light for an emergency vehicle? I’ll always move out the way
where possible if I’m at the head of the queue, as it’s difficult not too when their behind you with blues and twos blaring…
However, many traffic lights have cameras ( for red light jumpers! ) so what are the implications of moving through
a red light to let an emergency vehicle pass and then getting slapped with a ticket for jumping the lights?
Has this happened to anyone?
One of our drivers got a ticket for moving through a red light on the A64 in Leeds to let a fire engine past, he also lost his appeal even though the camera showed the fire engine, he also didn’t go right through just crossed the white line
atlas man:
One of our drivers got a ticket for moving through a red light on the A64 in Leeds to let a fire engine past, he also lost his appeal even though the camera showed the fire engine, he also didn’t go right through just crossed the white line
Well that’s that then I’m staying where I am .