Vote: Should firetrucks be allowed to plow (EDIT push) through oblivious drivers blocking their path

[Street Guardian USA]

 

[Street Guardian USA]

Not quiet like this of course:

 

[parklawn]

The driver of the green car is an absolute moron, probably hates cops too.

 

[kamkar]

That was a huge WTF moment for me, i would have gotten out of the firetruck and bitchslapped the person,same if it had been me on the bicycle.

This appear to be in Germany which just add even more WTF to me, and for sure the driver of the green car should be banned from driving untill he learn how to behave around vehicles like that.

 

[Deleted member 46308]

That was a huge WTF moment for me, i would have gotten out of the firetruck and bitchslapped the person,same if it had been me on the bicycle.

This appear to be in Germany which just add even more WTF to me, and for sure the driver of the green car should be banned from driving untill he learn how to behave around vehicles like that.

 

[DT MI]

I believe I read somewhere (maybe even on DCT) that if you are able to but fail to move over for an emergency vehicle they can push you out of the way and not be liable for damages. I'm sure this varies by country, state, etc.

 

[jokiin]

in Australia it's illegal to go through a red light to get out of the way so they're certainly not going to push you through one

 

[dashcamnh]

Honestly they should be able to "safely". We are talking lives at stake often times. Same with people that don't move for other emergency vehicles. Pisses me off honestly. What if it were your family members? Friends?

 

[Sunny]

If it's yes and no answer, the answer is NO.
It's same question as 'Can a cop shoot through innocent people to kill a bad guy?' -- hell NO.

However, it depends upon how bad the situation is.
If fire truck is heading over to a burning tall building with many people trapped, yes, it's perfectly fine to push cars blocking their path. Read it, I said, push, not plow. Plowing is bad as it can kill the occupants in those cars but pushing them is okay.

As for the cop shooting example, US drops the bomb to kill top ISIS/Al Qaeda leaders even though there will be innocent civilian casualties but that risk is not taken for any ISIS member.
Emergency vehicles are strictly instructed not to involve in any accident as it not only prevents them from reaching the original call but creates more.

 

[Street Guardian USA]

If fire truck is heading over to a burning tall building with many people trapped, yes, it's perfectly fine to push cars blocking their path. Read it, I said, push, not plow. Plowing is bad as it can kill the occupants in those cars but pushing them is okay.

I edited the title.

 

[kamkar]

Had to read up on this, and here you cant go thru red either to make room.
At times i have seen ambulances ASO drive past traffic on bicycle/sidewalk, but thats easy here as we have a lot of those along out city roads.
Allso i have seen them cross over into oncomming lanes to get past gridlock at a intersection.

But thats mute in this case as the guy had plenty of time to hear the fire truck and pull over before the intersection.

PS. i have made a carefull right turn under red light to make room for a ambulance, i have no problem with that, and if any one have a problem with me dooing that, they better prepare for a torrent like session of verbal abuse.

I have a sneaky feeling the guy in the green car have gotten his license in Somalia or somthing, here in DK i often see african or middeeastern looking ppl do monumantally stupid things in traffic.

And ignoring a firetruck like that is monumentally stupid, there is even room for him to go forward and still not pass the full stop line, and that would have made plenty of room for the firetruck to pass.

 

[Sunny]

The green car could have gone to the left lane easily as there was enough space for that car but was too afraid of crossing the white line fearing a ticket.
Here, video of traffic violators who cross lines or go through red light are reviewed by traffic workers before sending out the ticket and if they see the driver had to go to give room to emergency vehicle, they don't send the ticket and even if they did, you can protest.

I was in a jam and a fire truck came behind me.
It was a two lane road with cars bumper to bumper to the red light ahead.
The sound was unbearable as the driver was honking in addition to the sirens.
I had no option but to go over the median damaging few flowers and grass.
I didn't get a bill for that though.

Another scary one was when the fire truck came wrong way in front of me as the other side was completely jammed.

 

[mike-k]

Ahhh, the Germans again... Like the "Landespolizei Baden-Würtemberg" (Statepolice Baden-Würtemberg) driving through a roundabout clockwise... (like the British do)

Sorry to sound a bit polemic, but:
this has been a clear "German Oberlehrer" (Head-Teacher)-Case: "I have to stop at red light, so does Traffic behind me". (Germans are famous for "Oberlehrer-Cases"... Well known over the whole continent)

In Germany - like, I guess, every developed country - Firetrucks, Police and Ambulance have certain rights/priviliges, especially when Sirene and "Bluelight" is on. And all other Trafficers have the duty to make Space on the street (move to the side, so Firetruck etc can pass).

IMHO, such "Oberlehrers" should be plowed to the side due to they endanger other people (someone could be burning to death because Firefighters were delayed). BUT only when in the Truck (Ambulance or Firetruck) a Dashcam can lock the incident, so Numberplate can be read, and the Situation is "on record". (if an Oberlehrer should ask a court for a decission)

 

[CheckYourLights]

I'm not sure where I stand on the issue. I always move over for flashing lights, but never put myself in a situation like the green car above has. Pushing through a car like that could cause more issues, but as mentioned if a big building is burning a lot of people could be in danger.

I believe here if a car is parked next to a fireplug they are allowed to break the cars windows to put the hose through.

Also whoever voted No reminded me of this video

From the TV show Hunter

 

[GrahamS]

in Australia it's illegal to go through a red light to get out of the way so they're certainly not going to push you through one

Same in the UK. People have found themselves in court for having inched forward through red lights, strayed into bus lanes, or stopped on box junctions(no stopping areas) in order to allow emergency vehicles to pass. Then they find themselves in court trying to prove that they were doing so with good intentions. Sometimes the traffic camera shows the emergency vehicle in the vicinity, and the charge is dropped, sometimes the camera doesn't and the person gets a fine and points on their licence

If you'd fallen foul of the law while trying to be a decent citizen then it's hard to imagine that same person being so accommodating the next time.

Never happened to me, and I'd always get out of the way of emergency vehicles, but it's yet another reason why a dash cam can be so useful

 

[keybaud]

In the UK, you are not allowed to break the law to move out of the way of an emergency vehicle, like going through a red light to let an emergency vehicle through. They should turn the siren off until the vehicle obstructing them can legally move out of the way.

 

[Sunny]

That's why the light turns green in the direction of emergency vehicles here.

That'll prevent situations like in the post here and cars can clear the path.

I get mad after the emergency vehicles go through though because it messes up the traffic light's cycle.

More than few times, I had to wait over 5 minutes before my side turned green because emergency vehicle came right before green for us and reset the cycle that gave green for the other side that should have turned red if it weren't for the emergency instead of us.

 

[Gibson99]

in a big city like houston, surprisingly few lights will change for emergency vehicles. too many intersections and too many emergency vehicles to retrofit.

but they can afford red light cameras (which then get voted away by citizens!)

i honestly don't know what the law is here but i have gone through red lights (carefully, of course, making sure cross traffic was stopping or was clear) to get out of the way for them. no tickets yet, and now that we have DC in all our cars, i don't expect it to be an issue either.

it happens to us a lot here because we live about one mile from a fire station, and there's a large hospital near an area we go through almost daily, so we see fire and EMS all the time. not surprisingly, my 3 year old son loves hearing and seeing the sirens and lights.

 

[SawMaster]

Watch the "Rammstein" video "Benzin"- THEY do it right You might want to turn the volume down first if you don't like hardcore rock music though. Start at 56 seconds to jump to the fun, er action. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVRnUtZdpk0

Phil

 

[Street Guardian USA]

http://roadshamer.com/video/not-making-way-for-ambulance-827/

http://www.reddit.com/r/Roadcam/comments/39anh6/israelbus_refuses_to_let_icu_ambulance_pass/

"According to an article just posted by the local papers, the company where the bus drivers works released a statement that they are investigating the incident and are planning on firing the driver"