What to do when an ambulance approaches from behind?

[@ThinkkRedd]

I been driving for about 5 years now and I still have that slight panic when there's emergency services behind me. Just be sure to indicate to show them that your intentions are to pull up for him them to pass

[@_Ali.]

Try and ride shot gun behind it to get through traffic?

[@deyvisrossipenteado4088]

If we have two-way traffic and there are side walk on both sides the of the road and an ambulance comes behind you, do I have to stop and let them pass or slow down and let them pass?

[@twain3210]

Either, as long as there is room. Don’t slam your breaks on. Just give a little space.

[@Edsbar]

One thing I when I first hear or see an emergency vehicle I do is roll my windows down to give me an enhanced sense of the sound. This is helpful especially if I haven't seen it yet and maybe I can tell if there is more than one, early clues are good for planning.

[@drbennyboombatz9195]

What I like to do is pull open my fly, flop it out and just give it a couple of tugs, this alleviates a lot of the tension from all the noise and chaos

[@Edsbar]

@@drbennyboombatz9195 you can interpret this how you want but, what a bellend.

[@hendrikskrijn]

My answer to your question... ...panic

[@cogidubnus1953]

Great way of explaining Thanks Dave

[@hikaru9624]

In the end the emergency crew have advanced training so are better equipped for driving at speed and in difficult situations. Having your student keep going for as long as possible was definitely the best thing to do as there really wasn't any need to pull over. Yes that ambulance was heading to either an emergency or back to the hospital (naturally I don't know that road) but they must consider the safety of the public just like anyone else. Personally if I saw a an emergency vehicle in my mirrors I'd pull over (if possible) but would keep going and only stop if that was the better thing to do depending on the situation. I was in the back of an ambulance once with my late dad. It amazes me how the paramedics managed to thread the needle on the dual carriage way to raigmore in with what's basically a tarted up tranny van. So yeah, if you hear a siren or see blue lights. Keep calm, look in your mirrors and act according to your situation.... would this be the msm or mspsl routine?

[@EnterShikari01]

Hikaru WDM there really wasn’t a need for your essay.

[@EnjoyFirefighting]

in the UK: yes; Elsewhere it might not be the case that the driver of an emergency vehicle has advanced driver training, in fact there might be young unexperienced drivers behind the wheel as well

[@hybridangel3403]

Do I have to stop if there is nothing infront of me. I did but only as it got close behind me.

[@Teacake-sh6kh]

Would that go for any emergency vehicle

[@ashley_neal]

Tracie Irving 100%. Thanks for watching

[@pineapplepenumbra]

I've had people behind pull out to overtake, straight in front of emergency vehicles, as they haven't checked their mirrors (and are presumably listening to loud music, so haven't heard the sirens).

[@martaolivia5213]

OK so I was just coming back from work on my let's say 5th ever drive all by myself, as ive only just passed .I was approaching a roundabout and then going into a single carriage way , the ambulance behind me had the lights on and the loud sirens and I was just in panic as I had no clue what to do , I couldn't stop In a roundabout, I didn't stop on a road either ,I could see the double yellow lines on my left so I thought I shouldn't, basically I didn't stop at all which I think pissed them off , I could just tell .. I'm worried I might be fined for it ? I honestly didn't think stopping in the middle of the road ,with them having little space to pass, if any would do any good , but I also kinda slowed down as I wasn't sure what to do and if I can stop anywhere ...;/

[@Cjbx11]

I once had a police car behind me on a bendy road with hedges on both side leaving no safe place to pass. I decided the best thing to do was just speed up a little and drive normally until he could pass me safely. The worst thing to do would have been to slow down which would only have slowed him down or forced him into passing me on a dangerous part of the road.

[@rsmivth8548]

This happened to me on my test. I came straight out the test centre, and had to do an unplanned emergency stop as someone had jumped the lights. Then a minute or so later, I was approaching a roundabout with a solid white line to the left of me in the slip road. I began to slow down as I was anticipating what the fire engine was going to do. The examiner failed me as I slowed down and said I should of kept speed until at the roundabout. When asking the examiner on how I should of approached the situation, she never gave me a straight answer. Passed the second time around with a clean sheet (with another invigilator hahah)

[@keith6400]

0:51 This traffic light controlled junction is not busy so it was easy. There are no central bollards obstructing a vehicle overtaking. If there were central bollards restricting the road space you could gently stop short of the KEEP CLEAR box to allow a clear overtake situation for the ambulance. You would need to monitor to see if the ambulance wanted to access premises on the left! The worst scenario is hearing sirens from behind and multi lanes ahead and deciding that you should be the ONLY vehicle in any of the lanes. Inconsiderate drivers do this.

[@Richardb91979]

Don't move out the way for emergency vehicles any more, motorists are facing fines of up to £2500 for moving out the way to help 999 responders now, so yeah, see an ambulance with lights and sirens going, could have someone dying in the back, we aren't allowed to move over now, because if we do, we'll be breaking traffic laws, and looking at a £2500 fine.

[@twain3210]

What a load of rubbish. Don’t jump red lights, probably best to stay out of lanes that can fine you. But moving out the way safely won’t lead to a fine!

[@Richardb91979]

@twain3210 doesn't matter now, the law is changing when it comes to moving out the way.

[@FS2024-j6k]

Never encountered in driving lessons - on driving test day ambulance behind me at traffic lights

[@PercivalBlakeney]

To quote Cpl. Jones "Don't panic! DON'T PANIC!!!!!!" ;-p

[@xBurko]

see youre driving around rainhill, probably drove past you at sometime

[@kaylamitchell1982]

I think in the USA you're supposed to stop when there's an emergency vehicle approaching, no matter which side of the road it's on.

[@pineapplepenumbra]

They generally have much wider roads in the US. In Germany drivers are trained to pull over to each side on dual carriageways and autobahns to let emergency vehicles through, and get fined if they don't follow the correct procedure.

[@gravemind6536]

That is true of the UK if its on normal city roads but obviously not on highways or other high speed roads.

[@collinslfc]

Would you move over the stop line on a red traffic light to allow an emergency vehicle to get past?

[@ashley_neal]

+Collins LFC Would you?

[@collinslfc]

Well it happened to me a couple of weeks back where I was at the front of the queue and a police car came up behind me and wanted to pass on my right hand side. I moved over a little bit and stopped but then I saw in my offside mirror the police driver gesturing to move forward more. I knew there was no camera on those lights but had there have been I would have been very reluctant to have gone further forward. I would imagine if that happened on a driving test it would result in a fail since technically it is a road traffic offence?

[@ashley_neal]

Collins LFC Interesting one this! A very good question 👍 The public can get prosecuted for running a red light but I think your situation is a little different as you were instructed to do so by a uniformed police officer. Best article I can find on this is www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.express.co.uk/life-style/cars/803825/driving-fine-moving-out-way-ambulance-UK/amp Nice one. Ashley

[@fighterthefoo194]

I thought i remember reading somewhere that it is an offence to do so, even if moving over for emergency services. Unless you are instructed to do so specifically by the personnel, in which case i think they use a common sense approach and deem it not an offence. Im not 100% sure where i read this, but will link it if i come across it again ;)

[@Ultima2876]

How do you prove it though? :/

[@gravemind6536]

This should be obvious but it isn't for some idiots. Just this morning I was sat in my lane there were 2 lanes of traffic for the junction to a spiral roundabout and I see the Ambulance coming with lights on from 200 yards away so start moving over as close to the kerb as possible while the idiot in front not only doesn't notice the ambulance but also doesn't notice me moving over and waits until the last moment to notice and which point its late so they panic and jump up the kerb when there was no need.

[@hegotaspare]

Fast single carriageways are more tricky when there's no lay byes.

[@seankirby2580]

These people are just glorified van drivers. There's no way I'd move. The blue lights and sirens are to warn me of their presence. I've seen you, so what?

[@twain3210]

Haha van drivers with a degree in medicine 🫤

[@valourexonerated7046]

Ashley thinks he’s German by the looks of it.

[@blueberrysavers3547]

Just run the red ligjt

[@mannymath5643]

You can't.