Reply to: Moving out of the way for emergency vehicles

[centurian]

So clearly the best solution when the ambulance has sirens blaring behind you at the red lights - you should ring your lawyer and ask their legal opinion as to whether you should move or not... at which point you'll probably be nailed for using your phone

I can understand there might have been some p155 takers that used the emergency vehicle as an excuse to jump the lights. However if you cross the line and trigger the camera, but don't go over the crossing, then common sense should apply there - clearly it doesn't.

[DaveB]

Depends on how the law is interpretted :-

Examples of obstruction might include "parking where an emergency vehicle cannot get by and refusing to move"

OR

Examples of obstruction might include
1. parking where an emergency vehicle cannot get by and
2. refusing to move, or
3. damaging an emergency vehicle or equipment.

No, it depends on the way it is written, not the interpretation.

To get the meaning you are after it would need to be :

"parking where an emergency vehicle cannot get by, or refusing to move, or damaging an emergency vehicle or equipment."

The comma is needed to seperate the two actions and the 'or' to make it a selection from the list. This is not how it is written and the meaning of the original sentance is perfectly clear imo.

Given that there are multiple instances of people being penalised for crossing red lights to get out of the way of an emergancy vehicle, I'd say the interpretation has been pretty well understood by the courts and applied correctly.

[BrowneIssue]

.etarucca erom eb dluow stihs gninihw spahrep rO .stiw gninihs eurt era uoy ,yllaer on ,ytiralih reehs ,ti tuoba ekoj a edam neht dna yaw taht txet eht desrever syug uoy yaw eht ,suoiralih yllaer s'tahT

bonk

[Bagpuss]

Should be in the things that annoy you thread:

People behind who go to overtake you when you have pulled over to give way to an ambulance.

[BrilloPad]

Not really, given that stopping at a red light isn't parking - that's why Dom Joly's gag in Trigger Happy TV of dressing up as a traffic warden and threatening to give parking tickets to people stopped at red lights worked.

Examples of obstruction might include
1. parking where an emergency vehicle cannot get by and
2. refusing to move, or
3. damaging an emergency vehicle or equipment.

Now I appreciate that interpretation is unlikely. But not impossible.

[NickFitz]

Depends on how the law is interpretted :-

Not really, given that stopping at a red light isn't parking - that's why Dom Joly's gag in Trigger Happy TV of dressing up as a traffic warden and threatening to give parking tickets to people stopped at red lights worked.

[ladymuck]

My dad got nicked for 'jumping' a red light to move out the way of an ambulance. He didn't block the junction, just moved forward a few feet to pull further over to the left to allow more room. He appealed and it was rejected. I think that cost him £60 and 3 points.

[BrilloPad]

"Parking" and "Stopping at a red light" are not the same thing.

Depends on how the law is interpretted :-

Examples of obstruction might include "parking where an emergency vehicle cannot get by and refusing to move"

OR

Examples of obstruction might include
1. parking where an emergency vehicle cannot get by and
2. refusing to move, or
3. damaging an emergency vehicle or equipment.

[NickFitz]

"Examples of obstruction might include parking where an emergency vehicle cannot get by and refusing to move, or damaging an emergency vehicle or equipment."

"When one approaches do not panic. Consider the route of such a vehicle and take appropriate action to let it pass, while complying with all traffic signs."

So you are wrong if you move and wrong if you dont.......

"Parking" and "Stopping at a red light" are not the same thing.

[BrilloPad]

"Examples of obstruction might include parking where an emergency vehicle cannot get by and refusing to move, or damaging an emergency vehicle or equipment."

"When one approaches do not panic. Consider the route of such a vehicle and take appropriate action to let it pass, while complying with all traffic signs."

So you are wrong if you move and wrong if you dont.......

[Peoplesoft bloke]

The fire engine drivers have all started to use their air horns in addition to the sirens since there's been so much US telly on.

[NotAllThere]

.etarucca erom eb dluow stihs gninihw spahrep rO .stiw gninihs eurt era uoy ,yllaer on ,ytiralih reehs ,ti tuoba ekoj a edam neht dna yaw taht txet eht desrever syug uoy yaw eht ,suoiralih yllaer s'tahT

Go watch re-runs of Red Dwarf on Dave.

[Spacecadet]

With regards to the red light cameras, if you move forward slightly, i.e. 1 and a bit car lengths at a slowish speed the radar probably won't detect it.

[Amiga500]

On their way to Nodnol, presumably.

.etarucca erom eb dluow stihs gninihw spahrep rO .stiw gninihs eurt era uoy ,yllaer on ,ytiralih reehs ,ti tuoba ekoj a edam neht dna yaw taht txet eht desrever syug uoy yaw eht ,suoiralih yllaer s'tahT

[conned tractor]

Here is a bit more legislation from the Emergency wokers (Obstruction) act 2006. Although not as cut dried as the prosecution for going over a red light, it 'can' be read that refusing to move is a prosecutable offence resulting in a 'fine' (every bloody crimanal act results in bloody fine lately) of a maximum of £5000.

Homeoffice circular link

Obstructing or hindering
23. The new offence will cover those who without reasonable excuse obstruct or hinder an emergency worker responding to emergency situations. The terms 'emergency worker' and 'emergency circumstances' are described above. Examples of obstruction might include parking where an emergency vehicle cannot get by and refusing to move, or damaging an emergency vehicle or equipment. Obstruction could include giving false information at the scene of an emergency, which would delay or mislead emergency workers. But it would not cover deliberate hoax calls, which are dealt with in other legislation.


Reasonable Excuse
26. It is important that the offence will not apply where the obstruction was inadvertent or unavoidable. The term 'reasonable excuse' will offer a defence to, for example, a person who is in a traffic jam, and causes an obstruction because he cannot get out of the way. Or the necessary road works which may delay an emergency vehicle. It will allow the court to take all the relevant circumstances into account in deciding what is 'reasonable.'

If someone died as a direct result of me holding up an ambulance at the lights would the court still see reasonable reason not to get out of the way as being held up by a red light - even if there is room before crossing the perpendicular traffic flow?

So, if I didn't get out of he way by refusing to disobey the traffic laws, would it be possible to then get convicted under this legislation?

Help, I'm possibly a criminal, whatever I do. Although this does seem the more ambigous of the two, but does carry more serious penalty.