1 May 2013

ACT Policing lets us know what lights and sirens mean

| Barcham
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ACT Policing has uploaded a new video instructing people what to do if they notice an emergency vehicle blaring their lights and sirens coming up behind them.

While this video is nice and all, one has to wonder. Is there anyone out there is stupid enough not to know this, and if they are that stupid how did they get licences in the first place?

Do they even know how to watch a youtube clip?

Minister for Police and Emergency Services Simon Corbell launched a new ‘Lights and Sirens’ commercial which urges Canberrans to be aware of their responsibilities on the road when a police or emergency vehicle approaches with flashing lights and sirens.

Pull over.

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BicycleCanberra8:02 am 02 May 13

poptop said :

Does anything covered in the video apply to people on bicycles?>_>

It is usually a cyclist that has been hit by a car that the ambo is on its way to.

We all know what lights and sirens mean. Smoko time at the station and the pies are getting cold.

I learned that by reading the RiotAct, not watching movies.

Why can ambo’s and firies play traffic light god like in the states?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traffic_signal_preemption

When this was being filmed on ANZAC Parade a few weeks ago, they were playing the sirens from an Ambulance. So a car heard the sirens & sat at the Blamey Crescent lights looking around.

This reminds me of the time about 10 years ago when i was stopped in the far left lane at a red light on Northbourne Ave/Ipima St with two other vehicles in the lanes next to me and an ambulance was roaring towards me from behind with lights flashing and siren blaring.As he got close i had a good look left and right,which was clear,so i gunned it through the red light with the ambos following suit who then gave me the thumbs up as they were passing me.Seemed like the right thing to do at the time and i would have no hesitation doing the same thing again providing the road was clear and or other cross traffic had stopped for the emergency vehicle.

thebrownstreak693:19 pm 01 May 13

I’d add that it’s helpful to all and sundry if you also indicate your intentions as you move over.

ScienceRules3:10 pm 01 May 13

Watson said :

Holden Caulfield said :

Make way legally, the copper says.

Not that I have a problem with the black Forester driving up the kerb and out of the way of the Ambo, but is that actually legal?

See, I didn’t know that you could not break some road rules to get out of the way of an emergency vehicle. I have driven through the red to pull off the road just behind the lights (ie. I didn’t actually cross the intersection) to let a firetruck trough. I thought I did the right thing, even if when the truck had passed the friggin cars that got to the intersection after me wouldn’t let me merge in when the lights went green and I nearly got stuck there until the light went read again!

Technically you can’t break road rules to get out of the way of an emergency vehicle. Especially something potentially dangerous like going through a red light in front of them. If nothing else, it scares the crap out of the crew!

Having said that, it’d be pretty rare to be pinged by the coppers (unless you did something monumentally stupid and dangerous) for breaking a rule or two while trying to help. You’re more likely to get fined for NOT moving out of the way.

If you keep your reactions to “pull over and stop”, you’re doing the right thing. I’m not sure about the wisdom of showing the 4WD mounting the kerb either. That’s the space the ambulance would have used if the traffic lanes were full.

Holden Caulfield said :

Make way legally, the copper says.

Not that I have a problem with the black Forester driving up the kerb and out of the way of the Ambo, but is that actually legal?

See, I didn’t know that you could not break some road rules to get out of the way of an emergency vehicle. I have driven through the red to pull off the road just behind the lights (ie. I didn’t actually cross the intersection) to let a firetruck trough. I thought I did the right thing, even if when the truck had passed the friggin cars that got to the intersection after me wouldn’t let me merge in when the lights went green and I nearly got stuck there until the light went read again!

Are they suggesting that cars should jump kerbs to get out of the way? All very well for an SUV but not so good for a small car with 12 inch wheels. I know that we are not supposed to run red lights but I would rather hook a left in that situation (if safe) and then double back if necessary. I still don’t understand why emergency vehicles (and possibly buses) don’t have the technology to manually override traffic lights.

Obviously emergency vehicles will take the path of least resistance but it would be good too if there was a general protocol that wherever possible they stayed on the right and all traffic moved/squeezed/lane split to the left (rather than just “move to the side as stated in the video”). Traffic that has seen the ambulance and is no longer moving should be required to put their hazard lights on to show the emergency vehicles that they have seen them and are (now) stationary; as well as let other nonobservant drivers know that something’s up.

I think the “P” plater at the end of the video should have been stopped by the police for going the wrong way down the one way Murulla lane!

🙂

poptop said :

Does anything covered in the video apply to people on bicycles?

>_>

Even if it did, it’d only be a ‘suggestion’.

ScienceRules1:26 pm 01 May 13

A good clip and much needed. Most people are really good and move over, but some folks get that whole “rabbit in the headlights” thing going and freeze. Of course there are also people who feel that their need to turn right in 400 metres outweighs the need for an emergency vehicle to get to the crushing chest pain/assault/house fire and refuse to move over or inconvenience themselves in any way.

But mostly the drivers of Canberra are really good at letting emergency vehicles through. Thanks!

I think they also need to remind motorists to put some thought and logic into getting out of the emergency services way.

A few years ago I was driving along erindale drive (before the dual carriageway section) and an ambo come up behind with the lights going. The person in front of me realised there was an ambo behind, but rather than doing the sensible thing and keep going along at 80km/h upto the nearby roundabout where it would then be easy and safe to get out of the way, the guy slammed on his brakes, and carefully pulled off the road. Now as honorable as this was, it did mean that both myself and the ambo’s had to slow down to 10km/h so he could get up over the curb, where as had he just kept going in the amount of time he was stuffing around “getting out of the way” we’d have all been at the roundabout up the road where getting out of the way would have been a quick / easy and safe thing to do.

Does anything covered in the video apply to people on bicycles?

>_>

Holden Caulfield12:47 pm 01 May 13

Make way legally, the copper says.

Not that I have a problem with the black Forester driving up the kerb and out of the way of the Ambo, but is that actually legal?

OK fair enough, common sense really. But what happens if we don’t drive a Forester so we can mount the kerb? Will they either pay for a new front bumper for me, or pay the red light fine (should you safely enter the intersection where there is a camera?)

Conan of Cooma12:35 pm 01 May 13

Yes, there are people that stupid. Most evidence is in the city and Tuggeranong.

thebrownstreak6912:27 pm 01 May 13

Um… speed cameras?

Common sense is remarkably uncommon. This is especially the case for people operating motor vehicles. Myself excluded, of course.

Well first rule, let them through! I was once at the lights on Canberra Ave and the Monaro off ramp, fire truck trying to get through the intersection with lights and sirens going, stopped, as one after another, cars drove through the intersection in front. Thought that was common sense but obviously not.

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