[JS Kwt]

Police will not penalise motorists who make way for an AMBULANCE by jumping traffic lights !

We’ve all been there, waiting at the traffic signal while an ambulance siren wails impatiently behind us. The light is some seconds away to turn green and you know that every second counts for the person in the ambulance. To run a light and save the patient in the ambulance or follow the traffic rules and worry that someone’s loved one is seconds away from breathing his last? That is a question worthy of a Hamlet soliloquy.

But thanks to Amaresh, a RTI activist, we don’t have to struggle with that decision any more. In reply to his letter, the Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) wrote to him to say that the police will not penalise motorists who make way for an ambulance by jumping traffic lights.



Amaresh’s daughter, Chandramukhi Amaresh, a college student, like many motorists, has been caught in this dilemma many times. “Three times I happened to make way for ambulances that were behind me, by jumping a red light. Once, I was successful in explaining to the police why I ran a light. But two other times, I was asked
to pay the penalty of Rs 2,000, despite explaining that I did it to make way for an ambulance.’’ Fine for jumping a signal is Rs 1,000.

Chandramukhi had to ask her father Amaresh for money to pay the penalty. “I had no option but to ask my father for money to pay the penalty,’’ said Chandramukhi.

Following this, Amaresh, a RTI activist, wrote a letter to the BR Ravikante Gowda, Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) on January 21, to bring to light the problems faced by conscientious motorists who jump traffic signals to save a life but are penalised by cops.

Amaresh had appealed to him to direct his officers not to collect penalty from such motorists.

Gowda, in a letter dated January 28, wrote to Amaresh, saying, “I have already instructed the traffic police not to penalise the motorists for jumping traffic signals while making way for ambulance vehicles.’’

The traffic police have registered 8,90,466 cases for jumping traffic signals in the year 2020.


Well done Amaresh

Source

https://t.co/n8CBEhsGa8

[DicKy]

A grey area I guess, but to think that the police issued fines regardless shows why many people don't really respect laws.

If at all a fine is issued for running a red light, there would be two scenarios. A policeman present at the place or an automated redlight camera.
The policeman should use his discretion before jumping at the opportunity for issuing a penalty.
And if it is a redlight camera, then there is a pretty good evidence for your defence.

A pity that this happened in 2020-21. To think of all the fines paid or hassled faced by the conscientious motorists and the ambulances that got delayed at redlights till now

[gkveda]

But, my question is, why the traffic police incharge of the junction, themselves should not override the signals and allow the vehicles which are followed by ambulance?

Is it not their duty to first prioritize the ambulance and clear the traffic that obstructs it?

The police, whoever has made the above statement, is simply giving the decision making authority to public AND accepting that they do not control the traffic.

I would have simply appreciated if they had said, we will instruct all our staff to give priority to clear traffic in the path that has ambulance stuck behind.

This statement retains the power to control the traffic with police instead of giving discretion to public, 50% of which try to misuse in our country.

[dhanushs]

I personally think even the Ambulance can’t jump the signal, especially since it’s a very risky proposition for some intersections where visibility of oncoming traffic is a problem.

Instead may be manually operate the signal to favour the ambulance.

[anjan_c2007]

There is no law as such to allow signal jumping by another car to facilitate an ambulance to pass. Thankfully the concerned Jt Commissioner has used his pragmatism and wisdom to get such a traffic offence compounded.

In fact, at many busy junctions in our country where cops are in attendance, the moment an ambulance or an emergency vehicle is sighted struggling to break free, the cop/s reach that corner and signal the ambulance to pass, despite the traffic signals showing contrary lights. That's perfectly legal.

But the new law of 01.09.2019 can be a deterrent for violators who refuse right of way to an ambulance or emergency vehicles.

“Motor vehicle Amendment Act 2019” has been passed by the parliament recently and came into effect from September 1, 2019.
Blocking the way of Ambulance or fire truck- a penalty of Rs 10,000
Obstructing the way of emergency service vehicles like ambulance and fire brigade will lead you to shell out Rs 10,000 as a penalty."

https://www.indiatimes.com/auto/curr...ct-370005.html

[lonetraveller89]

This is from a news article posted 7 years ago -

Dr BK Upadhyay, joint commissioner of police (traffic) said: "It's legal for vehicles stationed in front of an ambulance to break red light. We have held several meetings with hospitals and doctors and told them to inform traffic control or the control room about when an ambulance is to go out so that we can escort it and alert traffic policemen to decongest the way it would be passing. But to date we have not received a single call." Upadhyay said he has told cops to give preference to ambulances even if the signal has turned red.

Source

So in 2028, we will probably have another senior officer telling us, "it is ok" following the intervention of another fined 'Amaresh'. (Absolutely no sarcasm implied, folks.)

[Sankar]

This information obtained through RTI imho is only applicable to the jurisdiction of the officer who replied to it unless there is a rule in India that allows or demands other vehicles to jump a signal to make way for ambulance/emergency vehicles without explicit instruction from a policeman on the site to do so. If anyone is aware of such a law, please post it here. Otherwise this information doesn't mean much for the rest of India.

OT: I don't approve of the way Ambulance drivers drive their vehicles on our roads, especially on two laned roads/highways. I don't think they get any training on how to drive an Ambulance without causing significance inconvenience to other road users. I have seen near misses and that has left me thinking if it is worth maiming or killing others in the name of saving another?

[laluks]

Originally Posted by Sankar

This information obtained through RTI imho is only applicable to the jurisdiction of the officer who replied to it unless there is a rule in India that allows or demands other vehicles to jump a signal to make way for ambulance/emergency vehicles without explicit instruction from a policeman on the site to do so. If anyone is aware of such a law, please post it here. Otherwise this information doesn't mean much for the rest of India.

OT: I don't approve of the way Ambulance drivers drive their vehicles on our roads, especially on two laned roads/highways. I don't think they get any training on how to drive an Ambulance without causing significance inconvenience to other road users. I have seen near misses and that has left me thinking if it is worth maiming or killing others in the name of saving another?

Thanks Shankar.

Going by this piece of news and you indeed jump the signal for an ambulance, you still have to fight for your defense on issual of a chalan. Things are not too black and white yet here.

[narayans80]

In Madras, traffic police prioritise the side where ambulance is coming from. This is almost a daily happening at Nandanam and Madhya Kailas traffic signals. This avoids traffic getting in crossfire causing more damage due to signal jumps. This is a better implementation than let motorists take grey area decisions.

[landcruiser123]

Ok, here is what could happen when someone is being followed by an ambulance:

Cop - "Pay fine as you skipped the red-light" (if you allow the ambulance to pass)

OR

Cop - "Pay fine for obstructing the ambulance"

^^Such "gray" rules are created on the spot to solve the problems when you have indisciplined drivers with no road sense. When one hears the siren, they must have space (in-between) vehicles to move to the left and allow the ambulance to pass.

[condor]

Not all signals are equipped to capture vehicles jumping signals. If the traffic signal is un-manned, then it is a kind of open situation. Sometime back, I was at the front, and I heard an ambulance siren. There were quite a few vehicles behind me, and vehicles from no other direction moved. I was not sure if it was from our side, though it felt like that. I did jump the red, and so did a few others behind me. But after crossing the junction, I didnt see any others move apart from the few of us.
(btw, there wasnt any traffic from other sides when I moved).

It was a moment of confusion.

[v12]

As a sad state of affair where people worry more about traffic fines thom someones life. Making way for an ambulance is top priority when I come across one - be it driving , riding or ever when I am walking around. There have been many instances where I have stopped traffic in the middle of the road or at signals to make way for them. The worst experienceI have come across where people hesitate because there is a traffic camera.

[PearlJam]

Originally Posted by JS Kwt

the police will not penalise motorists who make way for an ambulance by jumping traffic lights.

On the other hand, I do hope that the police go extra strict and charge a much heavier fine, on those vehicles that take advantage and jump the traffic lights after the ambulance has long gone

[veedub89]

There is nothing grey about this rule in my opinion.

Do whatever you can to let an ambulance behind you pass.

Deal with the cops later. Trust me it's worth saving a life.
Moreover, in my experience cops will not stop you if you are giving way to the ambulance.
I, myself don't jump the light rather I move out of the way. There is plenty of space at an intersection to remove your car and still not jump the light.

At large junctions (3 lanes or more) the cars directly in front of the ambulance need to move out of the way immediately. So if you are not in the way and are maybe in the third lane when the ambulance is in the first lane, then yeah I can understand why a cop would think that you are jumping the light and not necessarily moving out of the way of an ambulance.

Above all, use some common sense. That way when a cop does stop you you have a valid logic and some sense behind your move.

[Schneller]

At times, i have broken a singal to give way to Ambulance even when there are cops around. If there is space, i will cut ahead of the zebra crossing and take my vehicle left and wait for the light to turn green while giving way to the Ambulance. I was never harassed by the Police. However, in Delhi now there are red light cameras that automatically detect vehicles jumping stop lines when light is Red. This is a gray area now, especially with a 5,000 rupees fine. 100/100 you will get a challan sent on your text message and then you have to haggle with the virtual court or delhi police. It is a very tiring process. If there is no camera, i will happily give way but, in it's presence, if the green light is a mere 10-20 seconds away i will wait. If it's more than that, well, let's just say god help me in dealing with the cops over phone.