American Reacts to UK Emergency Response Vehicles!

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[@robinhood6214]

I rode with my wife in a ambulance with blues and two's going, we approached the city centre in rush hour where the hospital is, I could see all the vehicles pulling over to let us through amazing, a credit to the drivers, and the ambulance crew, thank you.

[@anjaclark5782]

I drive an ambulance in London (one of the big yellow mercedes ones). People generally get out the way quite well but you can't go all that fast anyway. Our vehicles have to be smaller and sleeker due to the narrow roads we have and have to weave in and out heavy traffic. We do have bigger, specialist vehicles if we need them. Our traffic rules are quite strict.

[@stephensmith4480]

💯% Respect to you Anja. I will always make sure I get out of the way for Emergency vehicles, your job is stressful enough without the added complications of Road Clowns.

[@PokhrajRoy.]

Legend says that Joel is still processing the motorists/drivers giving way to an ambulance in Germany.

[@markhepworth]

In what civilised country does that not happen..? 🤷‍♂️ oh...the US...

[@sebby324]

@@markhepworth the US isn’t civilised

[@djpalmer93]

LOL

[@cipyc2157]

It’s in Scotland……

[@lisasmith2660]

We are always taught to pull over as quickly as possible, the ambulance could be going to your family member and you wouldn't know, always think in the back of your mind that could be my family that needs help from emergency services, or one day it might even be me that needs help 🙏

[@charlieyerrell9146]

Well said Lisa that is what normal people think.

[@johnarat9618]

BUT. But but but. You can't break traffic laws if you want to pull over for an emergency vehicle. In contrast, Germany actually required you to do whatever you can to get out of the way, even if it has to involve some law breaking. As long as you don't endanger yourself or others, you're Ok.

[@lucastock1279]

@@johnarat9618 Yes, here in Germany you are required and are allowed, for example, to drive over a red light, but you have to make sure, that you dont endanger yourself or any other people

[@hikaru9624]

My thinking is it's an emergency so I better move my ass outta the way. Could equally be for someone I know but it could be for a child or said child's family member.

[@ReeceP23]

They also turn the sirens off when there's no one in front of them, or to only go through red lights/intersections depending on the grade they are responding to etc. Emergency workers here hold the highest standard when driving, including advanced trained drivers via the police etc.

[@whawkins88]

Getting out of the way to let an emergency vehicle get by is an automatic reaction. Their need to get the their destination is greater than ours. By the way, the "barp" sound from the fire engine has been shown to more quickly raise awareness of its presence.

[@Phil_A_O_Fish]

Joel, of course the biggest difference between ambulances here in the U.K. and yours in the U.S.A. is that ours are free of charge to all of us. That includes air ambulances whenever they need to be called in either because of the speed with which they can transport people to hospital or because of the inaccessibility of emergencies depending upon the terrain and land vehicles are unable to get there because there aren't any roads. While the land vehicles are part of our N.H.S. and paid for in exactly the same way as the rest of the N.H.S. the air ambulances are considered to be a charity and are financed through donations from ordinary citizens.

[@monkeysausageclub]

You should watch some Chris Martin EMS videos for some proper Blues n Twos high speed driving through traffic. Just watch how everyone gets out the way.

[@kirbettskill709]

.. and the vehicle Chris drives at kzbin.info/www/bejne/n6qYlZtpjpZjmZY

[@gdok6088]

Cops, ambulances and fire trucks do go through red lights - in a few of these clips they went through red lights and then switched to the other (wrong) side of the road to get past traffic before switching back to their own side of the road. Vehicle users are pretty universally excellent at pulling over to let emergency vehicles through in the UK.

[@zo7034]

I love the public info on ambulances and fire. They dont need to do it, but fire trucks will often have things like domestic abuse awareness and fire safety info, ambulances will have info on how to deal with a stroke and other things.

[@dasy2k1]

Yep, most of my local fire brigade have reminders to check your smoke alarm on them, or various road safety messages

[@mariahoulihan9483]

@@dasy2k1 here in the uk the Fire Service which are regional or specific to certain cities. no national organistion as such as far as I am aware, do a lot of fire and I think flood prevention work. They go into schools, visit groups. My very elerly,now in her late 90s, neighour is hard of hearing. with her permission I orgnised a suitably trained and dedicated Fire Prevention and Safty check t her home which they asked me to be present for.. so I saw it all. She is a retired nurse - her home is very tidy and nothing out of place. they found noting to worry aout but were looking for things like paint tins stroed under the stairs, piles of newspapers etc. In her bedroom which they surveyed with the rest of the house they subsequently installed, totally free of charge, a under mattress smoke sensor and alarm.. The sensor would pick up smoke in advance of most domestic alarms and would shake her awake. We tried it out. I defy ayone to not wake up to such a shaking. It has unit on her bedside table and on the coffee table in her sitting room. Both would trigger a very loud alarm and a bright light as well as a strobe light. she set it off acidentally one day and a fire applicance complete wth full crew came out. she, due now to dementia, had no idea she had the allarm under her bed. i do talke about it to her regularly and ther eis a nontice but still.. the female senior officer ws very brusque and quie off with her. As a retired Police Officer myself I thought this not on.. and came out to tell them, as I heard the commotion and then realised they had no idea why they had been called.. that THEIR alarm was in situ under her bed.. when I explained this the truly awful senior officer got irritated. with my wonderful eldery friend next door, who was highly qualified in her field and a sweet person for forgetting. I took her to one side, away frm her crew.. and told her any more of that and I would put a complaint in about her and actualy, was already considering my options. I was very polite but protective of my dear dear friend who has done a lot herself for other people in her on careeer. she was a very senior nurse. had a few years as a mid wife in the East End of London, riding her bicycle in the fog to deliver babies in the mdidle of the night and ran an infectious diseases ward.. she deserved respect. she had come from the Wear Indies as a young lady to nurse the people of this country. The fire officer did look a bit shook up i quietly took her to task about her attitude. So.. they do a lot for fire prevention and safety. They also of couse attend all sorts of road accidents, persons trapped and other rescues as well. We are very luck to have them. Where I live in the country we also have volunteer fire fighers. Last year wehad a lot of field fires as it was so dry. they go miles to assist other counties and vice versa when the need arises. We are so lucky to have them and they train all the time.

[@trainsatlondonpaddington9076]

I'm really glad that you love the UK Emergency Response cars that we have here in the UK, as a British person myself I can totally agree that they are stunning cars. Keep up the amazing work mate!

[@madcyclist58]

When I was a boy they were British built.

[@cazyaz523]

@@madcyclist58 they were. I remember when they made the change from British brands only and felt it was a sad day. The reality is with the end of a British Leyland etc we just couldn’t compete with other European cars which gave the police forces really good deals on fleet orders.

[@madcyclist58]

@@cazyaz523 cars, lorries, motorbikes, trains, planes, ships, nobody looks to us for any of these anymore.

[@cazyaz523]

@@madcyclist58 agreed - not great

[@darren100880]

if you were wondering @11:00 the 101 on the back of the van is the non emergency number as apposed to the 999 emergency number

[@Rokurokubi83]

Oh we absolutely pull over for emergency vehicles.

[@stevieduggan1763]

I'm pretty sure all emergency vehicle drivers have to pass an advanced driving course. Also, in stores, I'll let emergency crews in front of me at the checkout. They sometimes only get a few minutes to buy food before they get another call. An ambulance driver once told me that he had to leave his food because he got another call. 🇬🇧🇺🇸💜

[@brad_8711]

Certificate in Emergency Response Ambulance Driving. Even if you’re on a meal break, you’re still available for Cat 1 calls.

[@mariahoulihan9483]

when i served in the Met, some years back, we had Basic, Response nd Afdvanced driving courses. Our advanced courses were totally more than civilian Advanced driving courses. I cannot speak for now or any other force. Basic was you could drive a panda car but not engage in a persuit.. for could you go on a blue light. I was was wehaet we called a GP or General Purpose car. not for responding to emergencies at speed. Response drivers when I served were allowed to respond on blue lights and chase but had to give way when an Advanced driver driven vehicle joined the chase. At that time, some years back, i do not think the Met Traffic Department boxed in vechicles. no idea about now. Other units such as the flying squad, armed response units etc and units which operated in unmarked cars had other training depending on the need in that unit. Back then, contrary to pracrice in some County forces an officer had to wait at least two years from joining, in other words be confirmed as a constable and successfully finish their probationery period before tey cojld apply for a driving certifiction. I think some forces allowed probationery officers to drive soon after hitting their District. Do not confuse the Intitut of Advanced Motorits Advanced driving course with the Police Advanced driving course. Training to chase 'bandits', the slang term first takes places on a Reponse Driing Course which covered thd drivdr for blue light drives and initial chases. other courses were to driver Carriers and vans. and of couse motor cycles. there was no one size fits all in the Met at least. For instance, I had one collegue who, being an Advanced Police Driver got in an ambulance to drive it to the hospital whlst both paramedics worked to save someone's life in the back. they simply could not manage with one in the back on that job.

[@brad_8711]

@@mariahoulihan9483 It’s recently switched over from ROSPA.

[@janeemilybosques8687]

I live in Spain and drivers here are very respectful to emergency vehicles too.

[@drogna3905]

I've seen some Tiktok videos comparing British and American Fire Service responses. Our British crews seem to come out on top most of the time. My Dad was a Fireman when I was a child, I am enormously proud of them all.

[@anntaylor3131]

Thanks Joel. Our driving test is hard to pass and I hate parallel parking ! Like you if I see an emergency vehicle flying by , my thoughts go to that person and I say a prayer too. Many times my husband was rushed to hospital and I remember thinking ...hope someone is praying for us now 🙂

[@welshpete12]

One thing you did not cover and may not know. Is motorcycle medical emergency responders on motorbikes . That are used in big cities . Where it would be difficult for an ambulance to get through heavy traffic . They are able to reach patients quicker and give life-saving treatment while a ambulance is on the way.

[@KeplersDream]

You're driving along and there's an emergency vehicle coming up behind on blues and twos, you move aside at the earliest safe opportunity. Apart from anything else, you don't want to be that few seconds delay that's potentially the difference between life and death for someone.

[@gabbymcclymont3563]

Iv had more ambulance rides than I'd care to remember, but we can have a giggle at times. A paramedic pointed out to me that the wee cubbies storing gloves, etc, have clear plastic flap doors. He told me to look closer. Yep, there cat flaps, and I love the frugality.

[@gleadhill79]

I've been in one a few times, the last time I got to take my cup of tea with me that I was making when i had the accident! 😂👍

[@anntaylor3131]

How wonderful! I would have taken my tea too!

[@gabbymcclymont3563]

Tea fantastic, the paramedics who come to my house always ask how my dog is because he looked like a black sheep. (Monty died at xmas)

[@paulharvey9149]

You could tell the last clip was in Edinburgh from the roadworks...!!! I'm actually not a driver, having never passed the driving test, though I did take lessons for a while and yes, you're right about the driving test requirements as there are three parts - an online, multiple-choice theory test theory test - which can be about anything from road signs, through stopping distances, who has priority in certain situations to emergency first aid...! The questions come up randomly, so you have to know it all to be able to pass; the practical test being similar inasfar as you'll be asked to perform two or three out of five of six possible maneuvers such as parallel parking, reversing around corners and even then emergency stop; and then there are also simple vehicle maintenance questions such as demonstrating to the examiner that you know how and when to top up the oil and screen wash, and where to find the spare wheel, etc. Learner drivers are not currently on motorways and so the driving test does not include anything about driving on them. There is however an optional short course about motorway driving available; while there is also an elite drivers' club, which most emergency vehicle drivers will be members of - having successfully passed the Advanced Motorist's test, which is also optional. Naturally the emergency services will also have their own specialist driving training programmes, so that they know how to weave through heavy traffic and do high speed chases, etc.

[@dereknewbury163]

Didn't realise there is such a difference in behaviours, Joel. Best reason I can think of for giving way to an emergency vehicle, apart from it being the right thing to do, is that next time it might be you in trouble!

[@bikeanddogtripsvirtualcycling]

as far as i know, all fire stations have a domestic abuse safety sanctuary where a person can go to be safe. The fire engine that you saw was just on the outskirts of Liverpool city centre - heading east (you recently showed a walk through video from there. The specific location was a few minutes walk from the hospital, 15 min walk from st george's hall (check it out online - you'll be surprised) and between two of our universities. i used to run along that road to crosby almost every day.

[@another_day4783]

i think that was only in lockdown

[@nbartlett6538]

You should see how small the ambulances are in Japan! And they drive SO slowly... it's comical but also makes me very much hope never to have a medical emergency while I'm there.

[@neilburns8869]

Police in the UK didn't used to drive Station wagons (Estate cars) but because they can carry so much more equipment they often prefer them to the typical saloon (sedan).

[@noooo_safechat2589]

8:22 | Wail - used in densely populated areas with lots of buildings, due to its reflectance off of buildings it makes the siren sound much louder. (Same as 2:18, but a different siren) 8:34 | Yelp - used in densely populated areas with traffic, same as wail it can bounce off of buildings creating an echoing effect. 8:42 | hi-lo - used when in oncoming lanes of travel and (sometimes) when crossing a busy junction through a red light.

[@john_smith1471]

North Wales fire & rescue none of the above, Martinshorn used.

[@noooo_safechat2589]

I’m not Welsh I’m English, so I wouldn’t know what you guys use

[@ltrtg13]

One of the fire engines (truck) had someone learning to drive the fire engine. It was the one with the L plate. Which is a red L on a square white background.

[@jonathangoll2918]

There are two Scottish examples at 2:32 and 11:05. Notice that they both have Scottish Gaelic labels as well as English; 'ambaileans' and 'poileas'. There weren't any Welsh examples, or we would have seen 'ambiwlans' and 'heddlu' ( police).

[@MrSinclairn]

Yes, the 2nd one(11:05) was definitely Edinburgh👌👍.

[@mikeh020011]

The reason for public information or safety messages on emergency vehicle is. what is the fist thing you do when hearing a siren is you stop and look at that vehicle. Also it is a large empty space to use a billboard which doesn't cost much to get your message over.

[@darthgardner]

The other side of the police is the specialist motorcycle team who just use whistles and hand gestures to move traffic,its actually very efficient usually used when vip,s are being driven.

[@cazyaz523]

I love seeing police motorbikes taking it in turns to go from traffic light to traffic light in order to control traffic when emergency vehicles or VIP cars need to get through.

[@davidwebley6186]

It is illegal in the UK for Emergency service vehicles to switch on their lights unless they are responding to an emergency. Also ARVs (Armed response vehicles) & RPUs (Road policing units) will not be the standard consumer specification but built to police specifications.

[@coot1925]

The American police cruisers are big and heavy and don't handle too well. We have a show called police interceptors. They use mitsubishi evo's, Subaru Impreza's, BMW'S etc. Anything that's fast, agile and can go around corners. Not much gets away from them.

[@ssemergencyworld7362]

A lot of these police vehicles will be forced to change soon because BMW have pulled out of supplying Police cars nationwide due to engine issues. The Vauxhal Astras are super smooth to ride in, my personal favourite when responding to a call

[@simonwicker871]

As an RRV/Community Paramedic I used to have an Astra. Loved it

[@szabados1980]

12:34 The speed of an ambulance doesn't necessarily show how severe their case is. They won't speed with somebody having a heart attack or delivering a baby stuck in the birth canal. That isn't how it works. A smooth ride is more efficient than arriving 30 seconds earlier but shaking the living soul out of the patient.

[@markgarrity]

You make a great point about people ignoring the blue lights, it is becoming a bigger problem in the UK especially for ignoring the police. I have seen some deliberately blocking them. That said there are some police traffic divisions abusing their powers and being used purely to raise revenues. My biggest bugbear though is pushchairs and bicycles using crossings and overhanging the kerb with their front wheels.

[@jacquilewis8203]

In Northern Ireland all vehicles pull over and stop and emergency vehicles are always given priority. Someone's life could depend on it. So move over safely and stop.

[@peterpain6625]

I've even seen people driver over a red light very slowly to give way to an amulance in NI. I'd do the same here in Germany. VERY slowly though.

[@simonbanks3112]

The fire engine at 9.50-9.56ish that does not have its blues/horns running, has L-plates (red L on white square) which is the sign of someone learning to drive - obviously they have their normal driving licence but they're learning to drive the heavy-goods-vehicle licenced fire engine (12 tons with full load of water).

[@BomberFletch31]

3:19 that's a Škoda, actually. But you're right, they do have BMWs, too.

[@frglee]

Škoda is a VW subsidiary producing some very nice cars these days. Not sold in some markets (like the USA) models like the Octavia, Karoq and Superb are a popular choice worldwide by police forces, such as in New Zealand recently.

[@alansmithee8831]

Hello Joel. On my first day at school I got asked to draw a picture. I drew a police car. Then the teachers noticed I had written "My dad at work". They realised I was two years ahead of some of the other kids in writing skills and I was just left to get on with it. For years I thought school was to play. At that age I got visit the Peter Black antique vehicle collection. My dad had worked for his company between Royal Navy and police. I was allowed to play on a fire engine from about 1900 with a bell for an alarm, which I got to ring. As good as these modern vehicles are, I would not swap. A friend I went to watch rugby with joined the police. I had not seen him for some time. I was at my girlfriend's house in a different town. A police vehicle stopped a car opposite. Out popped my friend, now a traffic cop. I never did get to talk to him as he was on duty, but other traffic police I talked to confirmed it was him. I had rugby tackled a fleeing car thief through my neigbbour's back fence, after I moved town. The arresting officer could not understand why I did it, until I said I couldn't just leave it from how my dad raised me. I had forgotten my dad got mad when I chased two car thieves that the police missed once before, in case I got hurt. The traffic officer said he was going to London with my pal for training the next day. My neighbour said my fence repair was better than new. My dad taught me that too. His brothers were builders.

[@chrisellis3797]

Lolled at JC going all Dukes of Hazzard bumpkin in his Ve-Hee-a-cull.never picked up on saying that before😂😂

[@martylawrance]

Many years ago I used to drive a fire engine, it is the most exhilarating experience ever but trying to manoeuvre a 12/13 ton truck at speed especially in heavy traffic can be quite "interesting". The most important thing is to try and maintain some momentum, because if you are forced to stop it is a lot of weight to get moving again.

[@RetroReminiscing]

I live close to a big hospital and a ploice station so i hear these sirens all the time ha ha ha big like from the UK

[@neuralwarp]

A blue lights driver is trained in advanced techniques, and can treat road signs as advisory only.

[@nightowl5395]

I so wish I could remember the reaction video I saw recently that showed an emergency vehicle rushing along a major road (autobahn maybe, as I am fairly sure it was in Germany) where the response from other drivers was particularly impressive 🤔

[@neilburns8869]

As of earlier this year BMW announced that it was no longer going to supply the UK police forces and so Volvo have replaced them. Ambulances are usually Mercedes Benz Sprinters, Fiats, Fords, Renaults and Peugeots. Police are using Vauxhall (GM), Peugeot, Ford, VW along with Kia and Hyundai now. Fire and Rescue are usually Scania, Volvo, Mercedes Benz and MAN.

[@hikaru9624]

What is BMW mad they used the indicators or something?

[@heulwenhughes4110]

Funniest I saw was an ambulance in our local town have the lights and sirens on to pull up outside the chippie lol! In case you're wondering, they did come out with fish and chips, not a patient 😂

[@LibertyCountyRoleplay_ERLC]

Also sometimes in the UK, emergency vehicles will even turn off all there lights and sirens when approaching an intersection to not cause any panic to drivers at a red light and to avoid them running the red light and possibly causing a traffic collision. Not all the time they do this but I have seen this in person.

[@LibertyCountyRoleplay_ERLC]

They also urge drivers to not break traffic laws just to let an emergency vehicle get passed, they say let the emergency vehicle decide where to go and take control and only break traffic laws to let them get by if the emergency vehicle driver is asking them too

[@mbwoods2001]

Talking about parallel parking, thats one of the parts on ur driving test, is to reverse the car into the space parallel to the kerb. Also do a 3-point turn(basically a u-turn), reversing around a corner amongst others.

[@gillw62]

Joel, maybe you’d like to watch Motorway Cops UK on KZbin. A variety of police cars, marked and unmarked, some high speed chases. The police also have/use a heavy goods wagon, articulated lorry to catch people in wagons doing things they shouldn’t be doing, like using mobile phones and watching videos 😮.

[@Aloh-od3ef]

The small ambulance (the BMW) usually carries a doctor. They can provide additional medical treatment. That an ambulance crew can’t. Like specialists pair relief.Or the equipment needed for an on sight amputation etc 😉

[@PedroConejo1939]

The message on the fire engine is about coercive and controlling relationships. A lot of partner/ex-partner murderers can be identified early if the signs are understood, and of course, there's always domestic violence connected to such relationships. Sadly, we already see these things in the pupils at school and note how willingly the victims fall into the trap, so it is often down to others to report their concerns. Several such situations are currently under investigation at our school alone. There's quite a big push on this particular safe-guarding issue at the moment here, and rightly so, it's a destructive business. Most drivers pull over for ESVs but there's always one. Even saw a Harley rider coat-tailing an ambulance at the weekend. I think it needs a specific law to prohibit this.

[@trevorgoddard2278]

In the UK it is an offense to obstruct an emergency service vehicle (though many don't seem to know this).

[@joanne26]

In Britain it’s something we’ve always done pull over so emergency vehicles can pass but with safety in mind I live 5 minutes from the North East Birmingham Ambulance Hub and the main A452 is just so busy and you are constantly reminded how busy with the sirens 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧👍 👍

[@Theresabrown1805]

At10:34 my home town of Edinburgh that round about at Picardy Place is VERY busy it doesn't help when they have the tram road works which cause traffic chaos for everyone.

[@planekrazy1795]

The reason why there are a wide variety of vehicles is many are specialized for example Police will have general patrol cars (usually small hatchbacks), Traffic Cars (large BMWs etc) Armed Response Vehicles ARVs (usually large SUVs), Roads Traffic Policing aka Interceptors (high end high performance Cars). Each Police Force can choose what manufacturer to purchase from, so you see Volvo, BMW, Vauxhall (GM), Skoda, Mitsubishi, Ford, Mercedes, Subaru etc. The same goes for The Ambulance Service and Fire Service. There are others like Air Ambulance/HEMS road Vehicles (they carry Doctors, Higher Qualified Paramedics etc).

[@johnsmith-es7zk]

We always get out of their way and if we can't we keep moving until we can. I hate to see drivers panic and just stop in the road which then causes the ERV to stop. Those vital seconds could cost a life. The ERV drivers can see what's ahead so if the chance to get out of their way is 100 yards ahead they can see it too so keep going until you reach it.

[@davidnyeste7282]

Emergency response vehicles go through a trials program and are tested for handling and performance. The different vehicles used by the police are usually chosen based on the roles that they are to be used for. Fire stations are designed safe havens for people of domestic abuse, a place they can go to, to be safe until police and ambulance can attend to them

[@sarabazlinton9820]

In the UK we are taught when learning to drive that you should always give way to emergency vehicles, and the vast majority of us do. However there was a case last year where one man deliberately and repeatedly obstructed an ambulance responding to an emergency call. The idiot concerned was handed a suspended 8 month prison sentence, a 3 year driving ban, and ordered to undergo driver rehabilitation training as well as unpaid community work. The footage is shocking. kzbin.info/www/bejne/qZrco4xvmdBlZ8U On a separate note, police often use high performance vehicles to enable them to catch criminals in similar cars.

[@sarabazlinton9820]

@@rebeccat94 absolutely, which was my point in mentioning the sentence he was given. My niece is a police officer and has also had to contend with people not getting out of the way when she has been responding to emergency calls, though nothing as deliberate as in the linked clip. I can’t believe people don’t get out of the way…how would they feel if that emergency vehicle was on its way to them or a loved one??

[@johnfisher9816]

Great video and reaction Joel. Did you notice the fire truck with the Learner "L" on the front? Have a great week everyone. John in Canada

[@steelpanther9568]

The Fire Truck at 9:58 is only for the training of those that is Learning to Drive Fire Engines, for the Fire Brigade, Hence the reason why it has an L Plate on the front & an Orange Beacon on top as well as Emergency Blue Lights, 🇬🇧😎👍🏼

[@ScaniaVabis580]

Sorry mate but the orange beacon is for when it responds to an airport, (or used to at least), quiet a few south Wales appliances have them fitted for Cardiff airport - it's still got blue light's and siren fitted and can usually be spotted on blue light runs between Cardiff and Barry in South Wales. It's a rather rare appliance that one - I think only five or six scania's received the tvac coachwork as seen there.

[@steelpanther9568]

@@ScaniaVabis580 , Didn’t notice the Emergency lights package, as the camera switched to the other Fire Engine with its lights & sirens on, I just noticed the L-Plate on the front & the Orange Beacon, 🇬🇧😎👍🏼

[@ScaniaVabis580]

@@steelpanther9568 no worries mate 👌 it's a beast of machine, shame that the coachwork company went bust

[@jonathangoll2918]

Only certain vehicles are allowed blue lights, but I've had difficulty finding a definitive list. In addition to Police and Fire, there are Coastguard, Mountain Rescue, Cave Rescue, and I think Organs for Transplant. Animal Ambulances are I believe allowed green lights.

[@GrafindeKlevemark]

When my father owned a Lotus garage, after retirement from the military, he loved to spend his weekends "running in" the Lotus sports cars for the police (I was 18 and am now 75 - so things may have changed - you don't "run in" cars anymore, but we had great fun together !!!)

[@ian_bradley]

Hi Joel! We in the UK are bright up to move out the way or pull over if driving for emergency service vehicles to get passed! However,, if you are at a red light it is still illegal to pass it even when an emergency service vehicle is wanting to get through! I believe drivers turn off their sirens to remove the stress of drivers waiting and wanting to move out the way!!!!

[@dave_goldcrest]

This guy does videos are just soothing like a cup of tea. I can't think how else to explain it.

[@stevemiller3433]

BMW M5 is the choice of armed response , if you see a yellow dot on the windows ( of any UK police vehicle) that means it's a firearms team .They are now moving to Volvo as beamers have a overheating issue when sitting running at incidents, some have caught fire ,it caused the death of an officer.

[@hikaru9624]

I've been inside one of the ambulances when my late dad had an issue with his eye. This was about a 60 mile trip for him with a swap over at one point in the B9176, the only minor road I have the name set to memory due to driving over it everyday day to visit him when he was in hospital before being discharged. Before we got to the Kessock bridge (probably got the spelling wrong there) he started complaining about pain again and morpheme wasn't touching it. So on went the music and lights and my god the paramedics DO NOT PLAY AROUND! Never in my life have I been in a van that could pick its feet up. No they couldn't give my late dad certain medications due to him being on a course of various medicines for his Dialysis.

[@havocmwf]

Your last clip where you talk about parallel parking etc is in my hometown of Edinburgh, Scotland. I know that location well.

[@lg5819]

I remember growing up in the late 70s, early 80s in Britain when I use to hear that, distinctive, iconic sound, when emergency services were scrambling across London to reach their destination. Which was a two-tone “nee-naw” siren which has mostly been replaced now with American-style wail, yelp or phaser sirens. This original two-tone sound was created by two different horns operated alternately. New sirens use one speaker (or two speakers playing the same sound). It’s just like traditional red telephone boxes in London, and the famous Route-master bus or the black taxi, things that differentiate our city from another city abroad. Nowadays everything is universal, but in some ways that is a real shame because London loses its character, and just becomes like another metropolis for the masses.

[@beverleyrankin3482]

I lived in Glasgow then and we also had the “nee-naw” siren (presumably it was everywhere in the UK). If I walked my dog past a vehicle with that noise he would howl, which was a bit embarrassing, although funny too!

[@cazyaz523]

I can’t believe I started doing the “nee naw” sound as I was reading your post 😂

[@ReeceP23]

When the fire engine stopped behind those vehicles and turned their sirens off and didn't move, they do that as they want it to be safe for people etc, and as soon as the traffic flows then they turn the sirens back on, they do it with every service here, with police they don't rush people through a red light for safety as well etc.

[@Brauiz90]

3:17 that's actualy a Skoda (I think Octavia, maybe Superb) Almost all of those emergency cars/ambulances/ fire trucks are european and asian brands because you get great quality for good money.

[@johnwright9562]

You mentioned that there is a lot of BMW's. Back in February, it was announced that BMW would no longer supply cars to the UK police forces. They found that they could not take the way they were being driven and the engine would fail at speed. A police traffic officer was killed when it failed while on an emergency call. They are now going more for Volvo Skoda and even Kia

[@peterhopkins7505]

Riding Police escort to fire trucks, hitting 120mph in rush hour, nuts, even here in the UK. Driving up to 150 in plain vehicle on UK motorway, scared the other drivers. Some 'Specials' would do 230, but not often.

[@mushypeas468]

"Drive to arrive " ....is key to driving in an emergency

[@gerrimilner9448]

using blues and twos (lights and siren) in a non emergency is a sackable offence. back in the day police used them so they could go home for lunch, to skip lights and to get through rush hour, so they made it a sackable offence

[@Naylte]

I was surprised by what you said in the pre-amble. I thought it was the other way round; i.e. in the US (and possibly Canada) you had to pull over when the blues are flashing, but in the UK you simply had to ensure they could pass.

[@i.I.j]

A sub compact vehicle is a hatchback lol

[@L.D.BakesOfficial]

Hear all these sirens on a daily basis in my wee town in Northern Ireland

[@andrewdavidson665]

3:23 Skoda represent! (not a BMW... though there is one right after)

[@chrismackett9044]

The fire service is a statutory member of the community safety partnerships that exist across England and Wales, which bring together local organisations such as the police, probation, local councils, drug and alcohol agencies etc with the aim of reducing crime and the fear of crime, anti-social behaviour, and alcohol and drug misuse. Hence the information about domestic abuse on the fire engine.

[@iainjones5002]

Joel. You commented about how our Emergency Vehicles are more compact. That's simply because most UK streets and roads are narrower, with tighter corners, junctions and lane width restrictions than you'd expect back in the USA. Also, Fire engines and Ambulances for instance do carry Health, Safety and sometimes, Community advice notices.

[@101steel4]

Really had no idea what you were on about. Wagons and sub compact vehicles 😂

[@helenbailey8419]

In Manchester,England,a small town I live in when a police car drives past at high speed with lights flashing and sirens blaring we will often say,,"Tea's ready,with sticky buns"😂😂it lightens the mood

[@enemde3025]

What's a SEDAN in the U.S.? A sedan in the UK is a very old type of covered chair that the rich would sit in and was carried by servants. Parallel parking is part of your driving test in the UK, so you need to know how to do it.

[@rhodes1948]

As a former New South Wales paramedic I think driving in London traffic would be a nightmare …

[@ezza2x899]

The red diplomatic protection service police cars you see in London are always my favourite.

[@rogers2039]

Joel - you commented on the speed. As you rightly say, driving in a city or built up area has to be very different to say a motorway. Good, steady progress will often get you there quicker, it gives the motorists, cyclists and pedestrians ahead of you time to absorb where you are and what they need to do to help you make your way through the traffic. If you speed up to congested traffic, red lights etc, then you haven't given people time to process what is going on and to react accordingly, you just set panic into them and that is when they make stupid mistakes. Keep up the great work, really enjoy your videos.

[@patrickholt2270]

As well as good advice about domestic abuse on the side of that one fire engine, it could also be a subtle dig at the police, who famously have a lot of spouse beaters in its ranks. Firemen and police don't necessarily get on. Some police claim that firefighters steal from homes, and firefighters and police can be on opposite sides in a strike or a demonstration. Firefighters have a union and occasionally go on strike, and attract more of a working class consciousness and social consciousness than the police does, because firefighters have to deal with the consequences of bad landlords and neglect when homes burn as a result, like the Grenfell Tower massacre.

[@susie8130]

All traffic always let emergency vehicles through as everyone knows it might be your family inside it. Also if the area is too small buses and lorries go up on the pavement for emergency vehicles always.😊

[@cazyaz523]

Btw BMWs will no longer form part of the fleet of police cars with immediate effect. 2 reasons - BMW say it is to concentrate on retail sales rather than fleet (cos of an international shortage of chips) but forces stopped ordering after a police car suffered a significant mechanical/engine failure on a motorway. The news follows BMW’s ongoing issues with its family of N57 straight-six diesel engines, as found in the previous-generation 3 Series . In January 2022, police forces around the UK were instructed not to use the engines in high-speed pursuits due to safety concerns relating to mechanical failures. A fault with an N57 engine was linked to the death of PC Nicholas Dumphreys of Cumbria Police. He was driving along the M6 motorway responding to an emergency call, when the engine in his patrol car failed. It released oil under the wheels, causing his car to veer off the road. In 2022, an inquest into the fatal accident heard that a faulty crankshaft bearing had punctured the engine oil sump, which released oil onto the road and caused a fire in the engine compartment. The inquest also heard that BMW was first made aware of the fault with the N57 engine in 2016 and that there had been at least five similar incidents since 2014. So they may be beautiful but it seems they were also dangerous and BMW failed to rectify the known fault.

[@john_smith1471]

You didn’t notice @2:31 Ambulance is written in English and Gaelic.

[@hikaru9624]

That's Gaelic, not Welsh.

[@john_smith1471]

@@hikaru9624 Updated, JPS totally oblivious, but then the priority is clicks not the content.

[@hikaru9624]

@@john_smith1471 To be fair I think he was more focused on the vehicles by shapes and less so by signage. But I may be giving too much of a benefit of a doubt. I was only able to tell it was Gaelic due to the Scottish ambulance service on the side as I cannae speak a word of Gaelic despite being born in Scotland.

[@jim2757-w8m]

Not only do 99.9% of drivers giveaway and make space for the emergency services, the police, fire and ambulance drivers are highly trained, if you can’t give way to them they will turn off there sirens, just leave there blues on and not not put other Road users under pressure. 🇺🇸🇬🇧👍

[@johnhall7679]

Emergency vehicles have the ability to turn the traffic lights in their favour.

[@roberthickton7732]

It is I believe an offence not to move a car out of the way of an emergency vehicle in the UK. I love your use of the word sedan to describe the type of car , a word never used in the UK.

[@Cheezsoup]

Nope, no offense. It may be considered driving without due care and attention to deliberately block an emergency vehicle . But sticking to your lane etc not so much. The official advice is do nothing illegal to get out of the way of emergency vehicles of course it is down to your morals if you jump a red light to get out of the way of an emergency vehicle. There are documented examples of people 'jumping' lights to get out of the way and then being prosecuted for it

[@philipareed]

@@Cheezsoup It is an offence in the UK: "Under the Emergency Workers (Obstruction) Act 2006, you can be fined up to £5,000 for "wilfully impeding" an emergency vehicle."

[@Cheezsoup]

@@philipareed Is 'deliberately' not the same as 'wilfully'? FAOD I would get out the road and 'hang the consequences' (within reason).

[@chrismackey9267]

What no Police or Rapid Response (paramedic) motorbikes? Or mini ambulances (rapid response paramedics)? Or Coastguard vehicles that also respond to 999 calls in the UK?

[@DayMatthew968]

There are many across the UK, just not shown in this Vid, except for the rapid response paramedics, they are shown at 2:30 & 3:25 & 10:09

[@chrismackey9267]

@@DayMatthew968 Thanks Matthew. The smallest four wheel 'ambulance' I have seen was the small car in Torcross, Devon , last week, largely painted orange and white and obviously useful in the narrow and sometimes congested Devon lanes for the use of the paramedic to get to a casualty in the shortest time.

[@nicolajaynehodson9223]

UK Emergency vehicle drivers are massively better trained than in the US - Standard Police Response / CERAD / EFAD are 120 hours

[@neuralwarp]

The colour-coded chequer patterns are called Battenburg patterns, after the quequerboard cake. There are about 8 types.

[@shadybacon3451]

Seen an undercover amg merc responding to a call by mine doing about 100mph down the main road, usually only do those speeds in built up areas when it is safe to, be it in a chase or just responding

[@craigpurcell6432]

I was driving in Scotland once, through the mountains; single track road. Ambulance was behind us; came to a passing point; I and two other drivers pulled over, others didn't: That sh&t should be illegal; should lose your license for that.

[@hikaru9624]

I assume the passing place was large enough to take the other cars?

[@craigpurcell6432]

Plenty@@hikaru9624

[@BrokenBackMountains]

A lot of visitors don't kno how to use passing places. Very annoying.

[@garytoner4563]

There is atleast one european country (probably more) where the law requires that if there is stationary queueing traffic that they must legally pull over to the kerb when stopping to leave a channel free down the centre for any emergency vehicles to use that come along.

[@rich_rich90]

General patrol cars are more of the standard hatchbacks & less rapid cars. The traffic police & armed police tend to have faster, more powerful vehicles. My local police force has undercover Audi S3s & marked BMWs for the high speed, motorway chases but Ford Focus estates for general patrol duties.

[@TedJM]

The aim of the game for UK EMS vehicles is visibility and to stand out from regular traffic, hence the bright colours and high visibility panels all over the vehicles. It is also expected for drivers to pull to the side of the road when EMS vehicles are responding if it is safe to do so.