Matthew_T
"Young and Ex-whippet"
- Location
- Prestatyn, North Wales
I had a near miss today with a rapid response ambulance. Immediately prior to this, the vehicle had its emergency lights on but then turned them off when it got to a set of traffic lights I was waiting at.
The vehicle approached from the opposite direction on the other side of the traffic lights, I was the first vehicle on my side. The RRV turned its lights and siren off just before it reached the junction, it then entered the right turn lane and stopped at the red light.
Traffic coming from the side road was very cautious as they too were confused as to what the ambulance was doing.
In my mind, the ambulance had used it lights and sirens to break the speed limit and was not in a real emergency, or the call had been cancelled (this is just speculation though and I do not know the reason for the ambulance turning its lights off). So as the lights were off, I figured that the vehicle should be treated as any normal car now. So when the traffic lights changed, I set off.
To my surprise, the ambulance turned right infront of me. Forcing me to stop and they also stopped. I was totally bewildered as to why the driver had just done that.
Eventually the ambulance continued on and I was just left in a world of amazement.
The ambulance didnt activate its lights again or speed off as if it was attending to an emergency.
The reason for this thread (please dont get distracted guys) is that I want to know about the legality of the ambulance deactivating its lights and sirens. Should I have given way even though he had turned off his lights? Was he in the wrong for turning infront of me?
I dont want to jump to conclusions but as far as I know, without emergency lights activated the vehicle should be treated as any other and abide by the same road rules.
N.B. I was driving, not cycling.
The vehicle approached from the opposite direction on the other side of the traffic lights, I was the first vehicle on my side. The RRV turned its lights and siren off just before it reached the junction, it then entered the right turn lane and stopped at the red light.
Traffic coming from the side road was very cautious as they too were confused as to what the ambulance was doing.
In my mind, the ambulance had used it lights and sirens to break the speed limit and was not in a real emergency, or the call had been cancelled (this is just speculation though and I do not know the reason for the ambulance turning its lights off). So as the lights were off, I figured that the vehicle should be treated as any normal car now. So when the traffic lights changed, I set off.
To my surprise, the ambulance turned right infront of me. Forcing me to stop and they also stopped. I was totally bewildered as to why the driver had just done that.
Eventually the ambulance continued on and I was just left in a world of amazement.
The ambulance didnt activate its lights again or speed off as if it was attending to an emergency.
The reason for this thread (please dont get distracted guys) is that I want to know about the legality of the ambulance deactivating its lights and sirens. Should I have given way even though he had turned off his lights? Was he in the wrong for turning infront of me?
I dont want to jump to conclusions but as far as I know, without emergency lights activated the vehicle should be treated as any other and abide by the same road rules.
N.B. I was driving, not cycling.
