How Long Does It Take To Find An Idiot!

[jeebowhite]

Lenny, thread moved as requested!

[Philf1]

BMW,Audi, VW, Va****ll white van, Merc, and everyone else!!!!!!

Is there only me that's not an idiot?

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[jeebowhite]

I think we as a community species are alone.

[Stoney871]

I actually had an Audi pull in to let me pass on a motorway yesterday.

I WAS in the ST with the covert blues going though ;)

[jeebowhite]

That's the only reason he did then

[Stoney871]

It was fun though :d

[jeebowhite]

Haha, I bet!

[Stoney871]

He overtook me a couple of times and then headed for the horizon but once I had a call the lights went on I appeared in his mirrors at 95ish and he moved across very quickly.

Eat my dust poser :p

[Micro]

Must have made an impression Clive, with me as of late people seem to pull to the right and stop dead when faced with an emergency vehicle behind them!

[Stoney871]

You do get some drivers that get flustered when blue lights fill their mirrors and do silly things.

You also get right planks that seem to be deaf and blind even when I'm right behind them on full scramble mode.

[Micro]

Blue lights and sirens turn some cars/drivers into unpredictable motorised death traps.

Pet peeve is the "oh god its got blue lights" triggering the "I must stop" mentality, and then brakes being slammed on.

Find this video is quite useful and perhaps should be played before the theory test:

http://youtu.be/btRHvQEIkcU

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[Stoney871]

Totally agree, a very relevant video.

Amazing how many drivers lose all logical thought processes as soon as they hear a siren.

[Ianb]

I find it's not hard to go crazy when you love in a city... Most drivers don't indicate, slowly meander around, don't read 'keep clear' signs... All in all no one is perfect apart from me... At least that's how it feels...

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[jeebowhite]

Simple sensible advice. Must admit if the roads not suitable for an overtake and u k ow it well that its not safe to stop, I tend to speed at what I judge to be sensible to the road conditions so I can find somewhere safe to stop.

[volts]

Video should be part of a wider awareness campaign.

Advice on staying off pavements... There are spots when if myself and other motorist hadn't done so the emergency vehicle wouldn't of got past at all

[Ianb]

Yeh, if I'm totally honest that video is 'good' but not 'that good'...

For starters, rush hour traffic and you hear sirens.. Only way to make room is to mount the curb - done that.

Don't run a red light, or stop at the line... I've broken that rule.. No where for the police car behind to go, so I've crept through the white line and the red, to a point where he can go screaming past. I didn't run the red light as in go for it, but I did partially go through it..

Don't go in bus lanes... Probably the most sensible piece of advice.. I can see it now "major incident occurring and Ian physically helps all the emergency services by ducking into a bus lane.... PCC thanks him by sending him a letter saying he's been caught on camera entering a bus lane.."

I think people need to use common sense.

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[jeebowhite]

I go with the safest answer, if that means breaking the highway code I do. Our roads are not designed for the heavy traffic they have so kerb mounting, red crawling, and such likes are day to day necessities here

[Micro]

I go with the safest answer, if that means breaking the highway code I do. Our roads are not designed for the heavy traffic they have so kerb mounting, red crawling, and such likes are day to day necessities here

Some people don't understand the meaning of "crawling" though, and just fire off into live junctions at speed, causing people to brake suddenly, and potentially cause collisions from cars following them.

At least if an emergency vehicle is the one entering the junction they have been trained to do so safely (and its not your neck on the line if an accident does happen).

Probably unlikely you would be prosecuted if seen doing so, but be wary of red light cameras. There is NO statutory defence to crossing that white stop line unless directed by a uniformed police officer.

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[jeebowhite]

Yeah that's why I get edgy but I would always stand up Nd about I only did to support the emergency services. Hopefully someone would have an ounce of since if all I did was pass the line by few yards tops.

[Stoney871]

Emergency services can't force a driver to contravene traffic laws in order for them to get through.

I have known of occasions where Traffic Officers following behind a response car on blues have pulled up and prosecuted drivers for crossing the light (even slightly).

It does sound petty but it does happen.

[jeebowhite]

Wow, in which case I must have been lucky. Like I said never travelled through but I have crept over the line so cars behind could mount the kerb. No disrespect to Clive or any others here in his line of work, but if you sit I'm the way they shout, flail there arms and get angry. So in all seriousness, you just can't win if you were to sit side by side other vehicles at a red light, you can't move forward as you will be prosecuted, you don't have enough space to mount the the kerb and leave a pathway, so all you get is an angry copper and the potential to be endangering life.

Far as I'm concerned if someone wants to prosecute me because I had the option to (unintentionally) obstruct an officer on duty, or stop an ambulance getting through, then I would lose patience...

On a serious note Clive, if u was to be stuck at a red light, no options to move,just gone RED nd I'm looking in my mirror with a policeman on blues and twos jumping up and down in his seat with the vein popping out his head.... What am I really expected to do there. I would claim his shouting and screaming appears to be direction bluntly telling me to get our the way.

.

[Stoney871]

Totally agree Fella.

I have had many occasioms where I have been blocked at junctions however I cannot force someone to commit an offence no matter how angry I may be.

We're only allowed to cross red lights at 5mph but this rule often gets flexed a tad, however if we cause an rtc we can be prosecuted like any other road user.

[Micro]

Clive, for me, we were told to hold back with siren off at red lights. People still cross the line even with the held back stance. Is this similar to your driver training?

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[Stoney871]

We can only cross reds on a call and lights/siren must be on.

5mph is the maximum 'authorised' crossing speed.

We must do an 'on the fly' risk assessment.

[Micro]

We can only cross reds on a call and lights/siren must be on.

5mph is the maximum 'authorised' crossing speed.

We must do an 'on the fly' risk assessment.

Aye, should have made my post clearer - if the traffic lights are blocked by traffic. Full audible/visual warnings on through the junction itself.

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