How do you deal with Woo Woos?

[akb]

Afternoon all,
A new one for me since starting commuting last April.
On the way home yesterday, fast country road, single carriageway, in the dark with quite a bit of flowing traffic.
I noticed an Ambulance from a shoulder check behind my tail of about 4 cars with blues and twos on behind me, so I signalled with my hand that I was slowing down to stop, with an up and down type wave. I stopped, but the traffic continued to try and pass, whilst the ambulance was trying to pass them. Annoyed me really as this then made the driver closest to me get right close to enable the ambulance to pass.
What would you have done? My intial reaction to the situation was what I thought was the safest way to handle the situation, but apparently not causing the close pass. Comments recieved with thanks.
Cheers,
Anil.

 

[G-Zero]

Afternoon all,
A new one for me since starting commuting last April.
On the way home yesterday, fast country road, single carriageway, in the dark with quite a bit of flowing traffic.
I noticed an Ambulance from a shoulder check behind my tail of about 4 cars with blues and twos on behind me, so I signalled with my hand that I was slowing down to stop, with an up and down type wave. I stopped, but the traffic continued to try and pass, whilst the ambulance was trying to pass them. Annoyed me really as this then made the driver closest to me get right close to enable the ambulance to pass.
What would you have done? My intial reaction to the situation was what I thought was the safest way to handle the situation, but apparently not causing the close pass. Comments recieved with thanks.
Cheers,
Anil.

I'd have done the same, I'd even consider stopping and pulling the bike up on to a footpath until they're through.

Even when alert car drivers see the blues coming, they'll pull in, only to have some numpty try to pass them while the emergency vehicle is trying to get through.

 

[akb]

Thanks G.
I did have the opportunity to maybe get up on the verge untill all had passed, but what if there was no verge/path etc, what if this happened on a road only type bridge with no escape?

 

[Beebo]

You have to take each sitaution as you find it and make sure you are safe.

On a fast single track road I would usually keep cycling, as an emergency vehicle can pass quite easily and I am not going to hinder its progress. In busy city traffic I usually pull tight to the curb and stop.

 

[martint235]

I basically stop as soon as I can preferably at the side of the road. I work on the principle that I need to remove myself from the emergency driver's list of potential risks as soon as possible by stopping and staying stopped.

There will always be other numptys so all you can do is make sure you're not a problem.

 

[SavageHoutkop]

I basically stop as soon as I can preferably at the side of the road. I work on the principle that I need to remove myself from the emergency driver's list of potential risks as soon as possible by stopping and staying stopped.

I do this as well; although my riding is usually city/suburban so the situation is a bit different to that in the OP.
I also think that a bike is better placed to spot an amulance or similar as we're more likely to hear it (and sooner) and we are probably more likely to spot it as well.

 

[akb]

Thanks all.

I do this as well; although my riding is usually city/suburban so the situation is a bit different to that in the OP.

What would you do in an urban environment for reference? I assume stop on the path/off the road until the ambulance passes? Would be good to know as part of my commute is through a small, heavily congested town.

Thanks for all the advice.

 

[MissTillyFlop]

Afternoon all,
A new one for me since starting commuting last April.
On the way home yesterday, fast country road, single carriageway, in the dark with quite a bit of flowing traffic.
I noticed an Ambulance from a shoulder check behind my tail of about 4 cars with blues and twos on behind me, so I signalled with my hand that I was slowing down to stop, with an up and down type wave. I stopped, but the traffic continued to try and pass, whilst the ambulance was trying to pass them. Annoyed me really as this then made the driver closest to me get right close to enable the ambulance to pass.
What would you have done? My intial reaction to the situation was what I thought was the safest way to handle the situation, but apparently not causing the close pass. Comments recieved with thanks.
Cheers,
Anil.

I usually vacate the road altogther, as drivers sometimes panic and don't check when they pull over to let them past.

 

[gaz]

Stopping is not always the best thing to do, sometimes you should continue moving.
As has already been said you need to take each case as it happens.

 

[upsidedown]

I get this a lot as my commute is on the main road to the local A&E. Basically i pull over, onto the pavement if possible and wait until it's through and the cars have all sorted themselves out form their invariably ill-judged stopping places.
You also need to be on the lookout for any idiots that try to follow in the ambulance's traffic-free wake.

If it's a Police car i definitely move in case there's a stolen car in the vicinity.
Fire engines although rare these days have me diving for cover up a side road.

 

[ohnovino]

If possible, I'll safely get onto the pavement and stop. It's only going to cost a few seconds, and it saves getting swiped by a flustered driver.

Last week I saw a big police van trying to do a 3-point turn. Despite the flashing lights and siren, the car in front of me tried to squeeze past him when he was halfway through turning.

 

[Breaker Morant]

I always try to get off the road, it's not the blue's and two's that I find to be the problem but the other road users freaking out and getting in a flap.

 

[wiggydiggy]

............with an up and down type wave...........

In my experience people don't seem to have clue what this means so I've never bothered with it for a while as it seemed to have no effect on people's behavour , if I notice an emergency vehicle approaching from behind I tend to stop after a shoulder check.

 

[Wankelschrauben]

People do stupid things when they hear a siren, from blundering up kerbsides without any indication, hesitancy or thought for pedestrians or anyone else that may be in the way to using the siren as an excuse to jump red lights so the emergency vehicle could get through.

 

[GetAGrip]

I think as Gaz said, stopping may not be the best option. An emergency vehicle driver should be able to evaluate the road in front of them and to include most hazards. They are trained to take the cleanest and safest line to make progress. Many motorists tend to panic and just stop, and in doing so can cause a blockage. If I can't pull in and leave a clean path for the emergency vehicle to follow, I carry on briskly until I can.