Does any one know the law regards hard shoulder use.
Specifically emergency veichels.
As am.on m40 near oxford way. Not moving.
And an ambulance lights on trying push his way through the traffic to incident ahead.
Yet there is a hard shoulder not being used.
Apart from 2 car drivers who seem to think it’s ok to use with your hazard lights on
Good question, I’ve often wondered this as I watch an emergency vehicle struggle through traffic on the motorway
Prehaps they think the hard shoulder is for overtaking, and getting to the exit quicker, like everyone else…
as a former emergency service driver (in Scotland) where rules for emergency service drivers elsewhere in UK may be different.
use of hard shoulder only to be used with caution as a last resort. High chance of vehicle breakdowns on hard shoulder.
Emergency Vehicles actually have very few concessions with regard to the highway code.
EG
must come to a complete stop at red lights. only proceeding when safe to do so.
can`t force other road users through red lights or to make unnecessary action that could lead to an accident.
I believe that only NHS ambulances have hard shoulder use permission. Private ambulances are not permitted to use the hard shoulder. I was told this by a roads policing officer.
Yes, I know.
Legally the ambulance is permitted to use the hard shoulder. Regulation 16 of the Motorway Traffic (England & Wales) Regulations 1982 gives a blanket exemption to the restrictions on stopping, reversing, driving on hard shoulder, use of offside lane etc “in the execution of his duties by a constable or as a member of a fire brigade or ambulance service”. There are no qualifications to this exemption - e.g. no requirement for marked vehicles, blue lights etc.
I’d hazard a guess that the ambulance driver in question was complying with some in-house guidance which possibly states they must only use the shoulder in truly exceptional circumstances, due to the real risk of colliding at speed with the muppets who simply can’t wait a few minutes. Health & Safety Risk Assessment and all that.
Personally my view
Your in an ambulance lights flashing surely easier to travel at a safe speed down hard shoulder even if it’s at 10 mph.
Instead of making cars squeeze over pushing through and possibility of catching a wing mirror. Etc
Totally agree with you there - but doubtless some pointy shoe pen pusher has identified the hard shoulder as being a Very Dangerous Place (which it is, of course…) and so issued the directive that his crews are not to use it. Takes all the responsibility for making that judgement call off the drivers - maybe their own Trade Union had a hand in the decision? Who knows? Whatever their reasons for not using the HS, the legal position is as outlined above.
Perhaps…
They could use them if they put their hazzard lights on?
It seems to be a thing, although I can’t find a single sentence about it in the highway code.
There is no rush if you are being carried in a private ambulance [emoji23]
Also, there is much more chance of a puncture when driving on the hard shoulder
We use the hard shoulder all the time to access incidents, we put all emergency lights on and flashing headlights. We have to travel at 20mph and be on high alert in case anyone opens the passenger door or steps in front of us.
BossHogg:
We use the hard shoulder all the time to access incidents, we put all emergency lights on and flashing headlights. We have to travel at 20mph and be on high alert in case anyone opens the passenger door or steps in front of us.
Don’t you mean “be on high alert for when someone opens the passenger door or steps in front of us or turns into the hard shoulder without looking” ?
manski:
BossHogg:
We use the hard shoulder all the time to access incidents, we put all emergency lights on and flashing headlights. We have to travel at 20mph and be on high alert in case anyone opens the passenger door or steps in front of us.Don’t you mean “be on high alert for when someone opens the passenger door or steps in front of us or turns into the hard shoulder without looking” ?
Sometimes they see us making way down the hard shoulder, a quick blast on the bull horn soon grabs their attention. 