A very busy night shift the other night nearly ended in my crew mate and myself being launched into orbit through certain drivers inabilities to use their ******* rear view mirrors or to be able to hear the ******* sirens on our big yellow flashing truck!!!
Most drivers are very good at pulling over safely or judging distances to enable us to pass them without everyone concerned having to change their underwear! But…!!! There is always at least one who does things differently…always one who defies the laws of normal intelligence or plain common sense…always one who either:
* slams on the brakes in front of us!
* tries to accelerate away from us and ends up impeding progress at next set of lights!
* realises at the last moment that ‘yes we are on an emergency’ and suddenly throws the car into a dangerous manoeuvre
* or just plainly ignores us and bimbles along in front of us either totally oblivious to the big yellow, flashing, noisy thing behind them or just does not care!!!
I don’t know why but we had a combination of all these in one shift! As I say most people are good at letting us past but we seemed to be coming up against some really bad drivers! Have a look at the ‘Road Safety’ video explaining what to do when dealing with an Ambulance on an emergency call. The second video shows what can (and unfortunately does) happen when things go a bit ‘Pete Tong’!
This happened in London when a Gas van crashed into a RRV. Blues and Twos were on but the van did not see the RRV. The RRV pilot escaped serious injury (as did the Gas van driver) but a member of the public was injured and suffered a fractured leg! The RRV vehicle was a complete write off! Given that it happened in a busy High Street its lucky that it wasn’t far worse!
Please drive safely, use your REAR VIEW MIRRORS and
listen out for the sirens approaching. And DONT panic!
Purpleplus 
I’m with you on this one. I’ve been hit twice running code 3 by morons who failed to yield. One of my co-workers has a scar across the top of his head when he hit the roof bar when his truck was t-boned by an idiot driver.
Most infuriating moment ever for me was the time we couldn’t get this a-hole to yield and couldn’t get on-coming traffic to yield either! Finally got a chance to pass and the fellow was talking on his cell phone and gave us the finger as we went by. I never wanted to beat the life out of anyone so bad,
It’s the full moon, I swear it makes people drive even more like half wits. The adrenaline expended just getting to your jobs is phenomenal, We (the great silent majority) are aware when someone goes past us on flashing lights that they are risking their lives to do their jobs, I appreciate it every time I see it and I am sure I am not alone x
emsguy64…we are lucky in the Uk as if we pass on the drivers details (registration number) to the Police, they will follow it up and deliver a ‘talk’ or prosecute if the driver gets bolshy.
Caroline…the roads are more busy due to crap public transport and everyone is out for themselves to a degree. Most are good when pulling over but as I say its the increasing minority that seem to think life revolves around them.
It does amaze me how many people panic and just stop, once I realise it’s an Ambo and not a Police car trying to pull me over…lol….I get out of the way, but I have seen drivers stop dead in the middle of a busy junction, but some of the worst are the ones who pull out and follow you knowing the will get a free run through the traffic behind you….
Emma;
Had a fellow follow my rig one day. He was real happy passing all those other losers until we got to where the road was CLOSED FOR AN ACCIDENT! HA HA! He had to turn around and go back about 3 miles to get onto alternate route. Served him right.
Always amazes me that people don’t see/cant’ be bothered to move for blues & 2s. Recall driving through Streatham (site of aforementioned crash – is this coincidence?) and pulling to the left at traffic lights to let an ambulance through coming from the other way (they went onto the wrong side of the road) and the ******* idiot behind me overtook me. How can you NOT see an ambulance??? Also remember doing a transport with police outriders and nearly loosing them to people who just didn’t bloody LOOK before changing lanes. And the time… Oh sod it now I need another glass of wine!
Emma…I seem to recall an incident some years ago when a car was following an Ambulance on ‘Blues & Twos’. The Ambulance braked and swerved suddenly to avoid a vehicle in front and the car behind went crashing into the avoided vehicle! Poetic justice! x
emsguy64…some people have no sense!
Piper…its through skill, judgement, training, forward vision etc and a great big bucket of ‘luck’ that more crews (this includes Police and Fire Brigade as well as Ambulance) don’t come a cropper! Enjoy the wine…!
You’ve missed out a couple of important categories;
1) th emoron who slowas to a crawl on the motoraway slipway blocking it so the ambo can’t get thru.
2) the moron who drives veeeeerrrrry slooooowly down the MIDDLE of the two lanes straddling the white line.
3) the moron who can’t hear the sirens because of the mp3 player headphones in their ears.
4) the moron who when every one is pulling over to the LEFT to let the ambo past pulls over to the RIGHT
and last but definately not least
5) the moron who thinks that the slowing down and pulling oiver of the vehicle in front of them is the perfect opportunity for them, to overtake it!