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Old 30th August 2010, 14:07   #1
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Ambulance breaking Traffic Law- Is it right?

Bangalore is a well known city flooded with indicabs and their restless moron drivers. The same driver when graduates to drive ambulances the scene become horrible as they get the license to kill (and save maybe).

It happened with me when one ambulance was about to scrap one side of my car near air force hospital in old airport road.

The traffic was a little dense on saturday in that road when I heard the siren. I politely took the right side to give a pass since the left side was cramped. I don't know wat was with the ambulance guy, the way he zipped between my car and the one on the left side was horrible. The ambulance was about to scrap my left side, the other car right side, and was about to fatally hit the auto right in front of both of us.
Thankfully everyone was saved by inches.

Still, the traffic cop outside the airforce hospital (busy in stopping the bikers to collect bribe) did not bother to do anything.

I can understand that there may be emergencies, but for the ambulance owner it is more about making money from the patients. Are they ready to compensate four lives on road to save life of one inside the ambulance?

I dont think they are taught to drive like moronic idiots, since we are been taught to give way to ambulances.

Sometimes I suspect that they make false use of sirens just to bi-pass the traffic.

Have u guys experienced such things? Whats your take on that?
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Old 30th August 2010, 14:19   #2
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A vero common feature on the Mumbai roads. The Ambulance drivers think by driving rashly thye can reach their destination in half the time but dont realize that they are putting other vehicles at risk.

I distinctly remember a traffic cop had pulled up an Ambulance trying to squeeze its way in the heavy traffic for which he switched on the emergency horn and lights. It was found that there was no patient inside the ambulance but the driver was escorting a friend of his for some wedding. Thats the state of affairs. The traffice cop for once did a good job of challaning the ambulance driver.

Come elections and we see many political parties trying to outdo each by donating the ambulances which are never ever put to actual use but for all other wrong reasons. I have found these donated ambulances in markets, housing societies parking etc.
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Old 30th August 2010, 14:22   #3
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I have never found a Ambulance being driven rashly. They do take their time without unduly rushing in. Usually I have seen people sitting inside trying to make way using their arms (patient's relatives, I guess)
The traffic laws you are mentioning, is it about driving rashly? People misusing the sirens without emergency has been reported and there were instances when they were caught and fined.
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Old 30th August 2010, 14:30   #4
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I've witnessed an ambulance misusing their sirens once after which I lost half my respect towards them. However, it didn't stop me from yielding to ambulance with sirens. Again, I think it was just one occassion for you, as here in Chennai, I've seen speeding ambulances with sirens in wrong way (which is right for them), but not to the extent of putting other lives to risk.

The incident that I witnessed near my home was really pathetic & if it were now, I would've caught hold of the driver. While I was riding, this ambulance comes with siren & most of us yield way; but after 2-3 Kms I see the same ambulance without siren & moving along with the traffic. I'm 101% sure there weren't any hospital in that 2-3 Kms stretch.
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Old 30th August 2010, 14:30   #5
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I myself have witnessed (2 times) Ambulance using the lights and siren when there was no need. Wifey was suffering from Gall Bladder Stones and she was admitted in the hospital. They sent her to some lab to get a CT SCAN done. I was with her in the ambulance and there was no rush to get to the LAB. Still the driver switched on the Siren and Lights to avoid traffic.
Sometimes it is very much necessary for them to drive through one way streets to get to a hospital soon but most of the times no. Still they break the rules.

-Z
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Old 30th August 2010, 14:47   #6
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Ambulance is a critical resource which should be at the right place at the right time. Ideally it should not waste any time in traffic. So i don't find any problem in using the siren in the above mentioned case. Also the ambulance with sirens need not have a patient always. It might be on the way to attend an emergency situation.
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Old 30th August 2010, 14:51   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Zombie69 View Post
I myself have witnessed (2 times) Ambulance using the lights and siren when there was no need. Wifey was suffering from Gall Bladder Stones and she was admitted in the hospital. They sent her to some lab to get a CT SCAN done. I was with her in the ambulance and there was no rush to get to the LAB. Still the driver switched on the Siren and Lights to avoid traffic.
Sometimes it is very much necessary for them to drive through one way streets to get to a hospital soon but most of the times no. Still they break the rules.

-Z
Zombie. We have shortage of ambulances as well. May be he wanted to drop of you people quickly and rush off to pick another emergency. One never knows unless one asks the driver in such cases.
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Old 30th August 2010, 14:54   #8
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How would you know if there is an emergency or not and they are simply blowing the sirens for the sake of it?

They won't put on the sirens ONLY when a patient is inside. You never know they are going to pick someone up?

I have complete respects for Ambulances no matter whatever way they drive. They are saving lives after all, and of great need to the needy.
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Old 30th August 2010, 15:02   #9
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Always GIVE way for the ambulance and indicate if you ARE moving RIGHT [use your flashers aka indicators]

The General norm is to move to the left and give way to the right, but in certain cases, one is forced to move right to let him overtake you from the left.

Whether they fake it or not, its better we do our duty!!
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Old 30th August 2010, 15:03   #10
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I am firmly on the ambulance drivers side, provided they are trained drivers.

The worst case here: the driver was faking the siren and urgency, which hopefully our cops are smart enough to catch. But spare a thought for the other extreme, where a real life and death situation might be playing inside the ambulance. In which case it might be possible for the ambulance driver to lose his cool, and inadvertently brush some vehicle in error. At least you have insurance and it is only natural to end up with scratches and dents in city driving.

I have personally witnessed more instances where people refuse to make way for the ambulance, and that IMHO is a crime worthy of punishment much more than the errors in judgement of a few unruly ambulance drivers.
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Old 30th August 2010, 15:04   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MX6 View Post
Zombie. We have shortage of ambulances as well. May be he wanted to drop of you people quickly and rush off to pick another emergency. One never knows unless one asks the driver in such cases.
I completely agree with you, we have shortage of ambulances and we need to respect that fact. But here the same driver was helping me and my wife to get the paper work done in the lab and taking us to the correct room etc. He also dropped us back to the hospital after everything was done (the whole process took 3 hours).
This was just from my own personal experience and I agree completely that there are numerous cases out there where people are in REAL emergency and we need to co operate with ambulances (with siren & light).

Cheers!
-Z
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Old 30th August 2010, 15:12   #12
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So we agree that once in a while someone misusing the siren is fine with us. They have been caught doing so too. Hope hefty fines would dither them from doing it again.

I would just hope everyone knows we need to clear the fast lane. Some people move left, some move right. Thats what happens when most don't know what to do exactly.

And I hate the two wheelers and cab drivers who try to follow behind an ambulance.
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Old 30th August 2010, 15:17   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by srishiva View Post
And I hate the two wheelers and cab drivers who try to follow behind an ambulance.
I remember this was a topic discussed in one of the thread & a fellow member said an innovative idea to prevent this; spread the news that one who follows ambulance does not live long. Sometimes supersticious idea works
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Old 30th August 2010, 15:30   #14
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Err on safe side and give way to ambulance

I recently had to use an ambulance from St. Philomena's twice - for a test to be done in a laboratory outside of the hospital. The driver enquired with us if its an emergency and did not switch the siren on as it was not needed.

There could be cases (in fact, most cases), where the facility is misused but we should always give way to save that one life where the siren usage is for real. Every minute we save during those last moments can save lives. Please err on the safe side and always give way to an ambulance on alarm

Also, an empty ambulance on siren may be reaching a patient in need.
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Old 30th August 2010, 15:31   #15
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I have not yet seen a ambulance that is driven rashly. Infact, not seeing them driving so fast also. They are at a safe speed. Yes, so far I have been seeing the ambulance drivers driving with very matured style. They are in hurry to reach, but not bullying others.

Surprised to see such incidents like one reported here.
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