[BenjiRoss]

Originally Posted by Satishtv

Accident on Intermediate ring road now, 7:15 pm, 7th Jan 2020. An ambulance was traveling in the wrong route (right side of the road) ......

I really wish ambulance drivers received scientific training for emergency driving. Here is another accident a few days ago (?in Kerala) of an ambulance and a Creta. The Creta slows at the curved junction and tries to cross it but is hit by the ambulance.

https://youtu.be/7jnCjl-V8Zo

In India the ambulance drivers are just told to drive faster and faster with lights and siren.
During my stint in Australia with the emergency retrieval service as a doctor, i realised theres so much more to it than speed. To be licensed to drive with lights and sirens there was an intense coaching class they had to pass! Training included learning all rules, how to approach a junction, how to take a turn, how to get out of a skid, how to brake in an emergency and also some emergency manoeuvres.
In India, I think the army drivers and some police drivers get some training here in India, but this should extend to all emergency services.

[JayKis]

Originally Posted by BenjiRoss

I really wish ambulance drivers received scientific training for emergency driving. Here is another accident a few days ago (?in Kerala) of an ambulance and a Creta. The Creta slows at the curved junction and tries to cross it but is hit by the ambulance.
.

Looks more like the Creta driver wanted to get into the Ambulance .

The visibility was there for the creta (0.08 seconds in the video) and so should have been the audio (assuming the "Nilavili" sound to be there).

The creta driver just tried to jump the ambulance before he could sense the speed.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by BenjiRoss

The Creta slows at the curved junction and tries to cross it but is hit by the ambulance.

The ambulance has right of way, regardless of its ambulance status: it is on the main road.

The Creta driver is mad to try to cross it. Hope nobody in the ambulance was injured.

[Sarvodaya]

Originally Posted by BenjiRoss

I really wish ambulance drivers received scientific training for emergency driving.

Why blame the ambulance driver? That moron in the creta should be kicked for coming in the way of Ambulance. Creta Driver had clear view of the road in broad day light. What was he thinking when he tries to cross the ambulance path. Ambulances always has the right of way.

Hope the ambulance passengers are alright and the ambulance reached the hospital in time.

[for_cars1]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

The ambulance has right of way, regardless of its ambulance status: it is on the main road....

+1

I'm mighty impressed by the structural rigidity of the Creta to be able to withstand (without too much cabin intrusion) such a high impact side shunt from the T/FT van.

PS: If there are no side curtain airbags in this scenario, serious injury to the Creta occupants is very high.

[pixantz]

Originally Posted by BenjiRoss

The Creta slows at the curved junction and tries to cross it but is hit by the ambulance.

The Creta didn't just "try" to cross, but it almost successfully made it across. Very silly maneuver by the Creta. The Ambulance driver also didn't expect such a stupid move from the Creta critter. That's why he moved towards the right leaving more space and almost completely occupied the opposite lane because as anybody would expect, the Creta driver would have at the most just nudged onto the road a bit and waited.



That said, I don't know if it's just me, but I've always noticed about 90% of Creta drivers to have a very impatient style of driving. I wouldn't say bossy as in bullying for space like maybe a Scorpio or big SUV, but particularly impatient to just gun it to glory as if everybody else is just crawling around. I'm not sure but I think it's the character of the Creta engine that makes one want to do that. Because whenever i had a go at driving one, I also felt the urge, kind of. Not that it's a Lambo or something but I dunno, that's a feeling I always had around Creta drivers. Just like how the one behaved in this video.

[GutsyGibbon]

Originally Posted by pixantz

Not that it's a Lambo or something but I dunno, that's a feeling I always had around Creta drivers.

I am sorry such sentiments bother me, when we are talking about driving on public roads. If one drives a Hummer H1, one can feel entitled to drive as they wish? Which is why I do not like to use the words "vehicle presence" when talking about any SUV.

If one approaches a main road from a cross road, he is expected to stop, check for traffic and move when it is safe. Just because one is driving a big safe vehicle, it does not mean they can take their chances against the vulnerable bicycle wala, etc. Everybody has a right to use our public roads appropriately.

In this case - it is an ambulance potentially transporting somebody who needs immediate medical attention. This is one thing we should drill hard into our kids at school, that it is abysmal human behavior to block/compete for space with an ambulance.

Also, I think our Ambulances should get bigger, brighter LED light bars, and louder alarms. 6 years back when there was some unfortunate event the ambulance that showed up was a Maruti Omni with a steel stretcher and nothing else. Things may be much better now in our cities, but the light bar certainly can be better. In the case of this Ambulance, the "vehicle presence" should matter.

[BenjiRoss]

Yes. The Creta driver certainly was at fault as he should have heard the ambulance and seen it.
Generally ambulance drivers are trained to slow down at junctions unless they have a green corridor or a green light. Not sure if this junction had traffic lights.

[Vik0728]

I really wish ambulance drivers received scientific training for emergency driving.

Like many here, I also agree completely that this was purely the Creta driver's fault, and there are no two ways to that.
In fact this is a first for me, as usually I have noticed the vehicles ahead of an ambulance with blaring siren giving/making way, only to tailgate it to get ahead of the rolling traffic

Although the ambulance drivers do feel quite immortal when they switch on the siren, this CCTV footage must be used to convict the Creta driver. From just the looks of it, does not seem to have caused any critical injuries to either occupants.


OT: On a lighter note, I almost fell of my chair by the hilarious reaction of one of the witnesses (Auto driver). His jump at the moment of impact is too funny!!

[Jerryaj]

Originally Posted by BenjiRoss

I really wish ambulance drivers received scientific training for emergency driving. Here is another accident a few days ago (?in Kerala) of an ambulance and a Creta. The Creta slows at the curved junction and tries to cross it but is hit by the ambulance.

Completely the fault of the Creta driver no fault of Ambulance driver here. The Creta driver can see and probably hear the ambulance coming. Just the typical Indian driver mentality that why me the other vehicle will stop or slow down. Moreover the ambulance has right of way in emergencies, even if it was a car instead of an ambulance it had the right of way in this scenario. The Creta seems to be trying to cross in a hurry in front of the ambulance, its not just stupid but selfish on his part.

[balenoed_]

I speculate that this must have happened:

Creta, as he approaches the junction looks to the right, doesn’t see anything coming closer, so then he looks to his left (probably for few seconds), doesn’t see any vehicles coming, so proceeds to merge onto the road (but without looking to the right for one more time). By then the speeding ambulance approached. Had he looked one more time towards to his right, he would have not attempted to push off. Though he must have heard the siren, it takes a while or has to see himself to determine from which side the ambulance is coming from.

[BenjiRoss]

To reiterate: The Creta is definitely at fault here. The fact that he slowed down and gave an initial impression that he'd allow the ambulance to pass took away any chance of the ambulance driver reacting to the creta.
I'd however like to highlight that ambulance drivers need to have some training and some guidelines when they drive. They are transporting vulnerable patients and qualified professionals with nervous relatives who are most likely not wearing seat belts in unsafe vehicles. I think the 108 ambulance drivers do receive some training. Also do ambulances have any safety features like ABS, EBD or airbags?

[deemash]

Originally Posted by BenjiRoss

I really wish ambulance drivers received scientific training for emergency driving. Here is another accident a few days ago (?in Kerala) of an ambulance and a Creta. The Creta slows at the curved junction and tries to cross it but is hit by the ambulance.

May be the Creta guy wanted to sell off his car and buy Seltos. So committed this.
The ambulance has it's right of way and the Creta guy had enough time to see and give way for the ambulance. Instead he jumped off.
Was there a patient in the Ambulance? What happened to that patient? Or the ambulance was on it's way to pick the patient?

[Turrrb0]

Originally Posted by BenjiRoss

To be licensed to drive with lights and sirens there was an intense coaching class they had to pass! Training included learning all rules, how to approach a junction, how to take a turn, how to get out of a skid, how to brake in an emergency and also some emergency manoeuvres.
In India, I think the army drivers and some police drivers get some training here in India, but this should extend to all emergency services.

IMHO this should be the training received by all drivers. If Indian road driving conditions expect to see any improvements, these sort of training and testing methods should be mandatory.

[BenjiRoss]

Originally Posted by Turrrb0

IMHO this should be the training received by all drivers. If Indian road driving conditions expect to see any improvements, these sort of training and testing methods should be mandatory.

What I meant was that Ambulance drivers were trained in how to drive when they had the right to break the usual rules ie.
- How to jump a red light safely

- How to overtake on the wrong lane,

- How to drive on the wrong side
- How to drive on sidewalks or non-road parts of the city
I'm not sure if all drivers need to learn these!!

- As mentioned before they were trained to understand safe limits of swerving, braking (they infact have to sign a waiver for this training!)

Even for these they had several dos and donts.