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news
WMAS ambulance (licensed CC BY SA 2.0 by Lydia on Flickr).jpgWest Midlands Ambulance Service rejects cyclist’s claim emergency response vehicle was being driven dangerously (+ link to video)
West Midlands Ambulance Service has rejected a cyclist’s claim that one of its vehicles deployed in response to an emergency was being driven dangerously, and insists he should have pulled over to let it pass him.
A video originally posted to social media and now appearing on the Metro.co.uk website shows the ambulance, with lights flashing and siren on, being driven in the right-hand lane of a dual carriageway just before a roundabout.
Birmingham cyclist Ian Hunter, who capture the footage on his rear-facing camera, continued through the roundabout, with the video showing how ambulance driver turning left behind him at the junction.
Mr Hunter, aged 47 and who works as a bus inspector, said on Twitter: “I was riding a road bike along Fort Park way travelling towards Castle Vale.
“I heard the ambulance coming and I looked behind me and it was on my off side.
“I allowed room for the ambulance to pass on my o/s however the ambulance then cut across two lanes nearly colliding with me.”
He continued: “The ambulance then sounded the siren at me and the driver gesticulating for me to move.
“Where could I possibly go I was already going forward if I had stopped he would have hit me. And most likely would have driven off.”
One Twitter user replied: “Love how you could [have] stopped earlier but despite hearing sirens carried on over the junction irresponsible and stupid I'd be ashamed to share this video.”
In response, Mr Hunter said: “Highway Code is for all road users if you have a vehicle on your right it clearly means it is going straight over.
“You think it is acceptable to cut in front of two lanes of traffic to turn left!!!
“They are not above the law and the law is clear.
“You must have been the driver,” he added.
While ambulance drivers responding to an emergency can claim exemptions from certain road traffic laws such as speed limits, there is no exemption in cases or dangerous driving.
Meanwhile, Rule 219 of the Highway Code provides guidance to road users about what to do when they become aware of the presence of a vehicle responding to an emergency. It reads:
Emergency and Incident Support vehicles. You should look and listen for ambulances, fire engines, police, doctors or other emergency vehicles using flashing blue, red or green lights and sirens or flashing headlights, or traffic officer and incident support vehicles using flashing amber lights.
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. If necessary, pull to the side of the road and stop, but try to avoid stopping before the brow of a hill, a bend or narrow section of road.
Do not endanger yourself, other road users or pedestrians and avoid mounting the kerb.
Do not brake harshly on approach to a junction or roundabout, as a following vehicle may not have the same view as you.
A spokesperson for the West Midlands Ambulance Service commented: “After reviewing the Trust’s own CCTV footage from the ambulance, the cyclist should have stopped at the traffic roundabout to allow the ambulance to pass unhindered.
“As an ambulance service we advise members of the public to keep calm if you hear sirens or see flashing blue lights whilst driving or cycling and give yourself time to plan.
“If the emergency vehicle is behind you, pull over by clearly indicating your intention and stop where it’s safe to do so,” the spokesperson added.
“Please be patient by waiting for the emergency vehicle to pass.”
Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
Latest Comments
- BBB 2 hours 21 min ago
Inhumane system that now will be getting even worse.
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In case anyone missed it in yesterdays blog here are the two pevious articles. The second one contains the testimony from the driver....
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Nothing says "welcoming environment" like uniformed thugs, umm I mean "security patrols " roaming the area.
- galibiervelo 8 hours 38 min ago
That is class news. Super bikes and vision. Bet there will be no stand at the Taiwan bike show next year! Big luck to all the team
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Pretty clearly stated several times in the text that the issue was not related just to his son. And besides, everybody watching the races could see...
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All Fizik and Selle Italia saddles (though not all their other products) are made in Italy I believe, and their 3D printed models definitely are.
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47 comments
Can't see what the cyclist is complaining about, it was just a bit of confusion in an emergency situation. I don't blame the cyclist for not getting out of the way fast enough - it's an everyday thing for road users of all kinds, even pedestrians. Anyone can cock things up and not work out quickly enough which direction to go.
But a mistake to then make the video public and claim to be the victim. Heck, even if the ambulance driver had been clearly in the wrong (which I don't think s/he was) I'd have just let it go, as it's clearly a difficult job and they are always going to get the public sympathy. If you want a close-pass video to post and make a fuss about just wait for the next idiot boy-racer in a private car, as there's bound to be one along in a moment.
Someone trying to justify the cost of a camera by complaining about an incident that was of his own causing.
It's an ambulance. Pull over.
Cyclist completely at fault, as the highway code states you have to "Consider the route of such a vehicle and take appropriate action to let it pass, while complying with all traffic signs" which meant taking the two seconds to let the ambulance pass before coming on to the roundabout. Not being a self absorbed cockwomble.
Unfortunately large swathes of the population panic when they encounter an emergency service vehicle. Most car drivers who are unsure of what to do automatically stop regardless of other road users/road furniture etc. Saw that example of action just the other day when two cars approaching a pedestrian island from different directions both stopped right at the pedestrian island leaving the ambulance no way round. Took the driver who was in front of the ambulance best part of a minute to realise they should drive forward and go by the island to let the ambulance pass
Think I prefered cycling when it was a minority sport, fewer d/head cyclists on the road too...
True willsdad but on the whole you'll hear them at quite a distance, like you say it is then your duty to try and locate and act appropriately, if in doubt be scanning for the opportunity to move. Lets face it, as cyclists we can get out of the way more easily than most. If there's one passing me I tend to pull over and look round so they can see that I've done so aware of them (and not likely to pull out) if coming in the opposite direction I will still pull over to give as much road space for them as possible.
What does annoy me though is when they do put the blues and twos on late, I get it after hours and perhaps right by the hospital but generally speaking it is a bit daft!
I agree that the cyclist is wrong and should have pulled over regardless of what he believed. But I am sure most will agree that standard blues and twos can be difficult to localize especially with wind rush, traffic noise etc. That is why some emergency sirens are punctuated with white noise bursts, I think this is non-directional.
Accidents occur due to unforeseen circumstances, so maybe anticipating an emergency vehicle making an unforeseen left turn when responding should have been the logical course of action.
Sorry but the ambulance was on blues and two's, the cyclist should have easily been able to hear that, and should have had the common sense to get out the way and let it go through. Whether cycling or driving I pull over and let the Emergency Services go through if they are on lights and sirens.
If I was waiting for them would I want them held up no, they have a difficult enough job, make their lives easy. #dontbeadick
Hear a siren, and if possible confirm where emergency vehicle is visually; immediately pull over.
So we should admonish people who are deaf and want to cycle, nice bit of discrimination there.
Immediately pulling over is wrong, pulling over when safe to do so is what should be considered.
Or simply going on your way when in your eyes you're not conflicting with an emergency vehicle is also acceptable, from the riders POV he saw no conflict in carrying on because the ambulance was in the far right hand lane and would have dangerously chosen to try to left hook a vulnerable road user from the offside lane and cut across the three lanes.
The ambulance driver in this instance made two errors in judgement and made a vulnerable road user feel fear of harm.
See a vulnerable road user, proceed to take the correct lane after waiting 1-2 seconds for that user to clear the lane you wish to take then proceed. That action, the correct one is all that needed to happen and would have caused ZERO delay.
Most here are completely oblivious to the errors made by the driver, they are oblivious to the fact that safety comes above everything else and in that the driver was responsible for making another person feel threatened/fear of harm.
Do that in any motor and I'd react exactly the same, that it's an ambulance travelling at a ridiculously fast speed near a vulnerable road user just highlights even more how shoddy/dangerous the drivers actions were
How did you shoehorn discrimination into that? Oh and you forgot discrimination against people with artificial limbs.
The ambulance braked and was not travelling fast. The driver avoided the cyclist.
The cyclist could have easily stopped next to the grey car but choose not to. Also where is the footage of the previous minute leading up to the roundabout - or did it suit the cyclist not to have this shown?
At the age of 47 years, I'd expect the cyclist to know that emergency vehicles can't always take a normal route, they have to over take vehicles and reroute. The last ambulance I saw had to drive on the wrong side of the road to get past all the stopped traffic at the lights. All the talk of left hook is just deflection from the poor judgement by the cyclist both on the road and getting the video distributed.
The ambulance slowed for the roundabout and came almost to a halt before crossing behind the cyclist.
So, an ambulance on an emergency call gives way to a cyclist who knew it was there and chose not to give way to it. And then told the world he'd been hard done by. Class.
Again, when an ambulance is rushing to the aid of one of your loved ones, do you want them to sit in the queue at the roundabout?
This is why the cyclist is wrong, he is making the assumptions and putting his own selfishness above doing what ANY decent human being should do.
As for fear, very little to fear, the vehicle was making a bloody big noise to alert of his attention. Apparently he had time to turn round and see the driver telling him to sod off, the driver passed behind him slowly. If he's fearful of that then the road isn't the place for him, or the outside world!
You are cycling at high speed, a person on foot is ahead on the same strip of highway but to your left that you can see clearly, for whatever reason they hesitate in moving aside to allow you past, maybe a second or two later than what you might have thought to do so but their actions do not threaten harm to anyone (a potential delay of seconds is preposterous anyhow).
You barrel on toward them at high speed and get very close to them, in fact you gesticulate to the pedestrian admonishing them for just being there despite you attempting a dangerous maneouvre to cut across in front of them without considering their safety.
Sorry but this is all down to the driver, it is 100% his responsibility not to threaten harm or put fear into the mind of another, in that he failed.
Had the driver just taken 1-2 seconds and not pressurised/threatened the person going about their lawful business they would could have moved into the nearside lane without attempting a ridiculously dangerous maneouvre which would have seen them left hook a vulnerable road user potentially killing them. Afterall 'potentials' are being mentioned as a possibility of harm right?
by taking that extra time they would have saved it by not having to slam on the brakes and make the stupidly dangerous manoeuvre in the first place!
As I said, could he have pulled over sooner, maybe, however the speeding big mass of metal was in a lane that did not give any indication of wanting to turn left (violently cutting across the lanes at high speed being in that offside/turn right lane position, nor could the rider know that he was wanting to turn left as he admitted. To right turn from that position is utterly ridiculous at that speed and when in conflict with other road users, more so ones that are known to get killed/maimed by errent motorists. That extra second to filter behind the rider would have saved all the fallout.
Most it would seem are clueless to where the responsibility lies here for safety. Only one failed in their duty to keep others from harm and that was the ambulance driver.
I understand what you are getting at; that the Ambulance driver should have taken a moment more consideration so not to pressure the rider, and whilst I agree with that, the cyclist in question was also at fault in his actions.
It may be reasonable to assume that ordinarily, a fast moving vehicle in the RH lane on the approach to a roundabout will not be turning left, but the point of the blue flashing lights and accompanying siren indicate to road users that typical assumptions should not be made; that they should ensure that they are not a hinderance to the emergency vehicle. The cyclist made a couple of errors in judgement; overtaking a vehicle already stopped for the ambulance to pass and panics a bit when he realises that it is turning left across his path. These are understandable mistakes that most people could easily make, and I don't have an issue with that, my issue is that he's then completely failed to recognise his own errors in accusing the ambulance driver of the dangerous driving.
Incidents like this are rarely the sole responsibility of one party, and people shouldn't go uploading videos blaming others without recognising their own contributory negligence
How do you know whether you are putting fear into someone else. I get fearful when a car accelerates ridiculously away from the lights but they aren't breaking the law.
Lawful business, there is the law and there's morals here. He could have took primary and held the ambulance up for much longer. Those at the office block an ambulance is attending could ask them not to park in front of the building, sign in for a visitors pass etc. Time to apply the #dontbeatwat barometer.
There was an indication that the big mass of metal may turn, it's those flashing lights and blue sirens. When we need the emergency services I'd be hoping that they'd be in a hurry to help as opposed to trundling along at 20mph obeying all the standard rules.
As for safety, I like many others didn't see any issues. He'd slowed, didn't hit him, barely came close. There was no harm, none. If we were to think about the moral compass I know which one deserves the questions!
Wait... are we talking about the dick on the fixie that got fitted up by the courts for killing that woman now?
He made a mistake, thats one thing but to post a video of it doesnt do anyone any favours except the anti cycling brigade.
Bit of an attention seeker by the looks of it.
BTBS you could argue that slowing down an emergency vehicle is potentially putting another person at harm. Also, I still don't see the ambulance drivers actions as being dangerous. If he'd hit the bike he'd have had to stop and another unit go out, big no no. He'd have been more than confident of his move.
Again not to victim blame as such (was there a victim), a couple of things still bother me. The cyclist may have believed stopping where the car does puts them in a bit of a risky position so entering the roundabout gives more space. However, he maintained a mundane pace, if I was doing that I would be accelerating and looking around to see where I could best get out of the way.
I think there's a good chance the rider doesn't even know it's an ambulance. Headphones?
Bus inspector, eh?
I'm so glad no one on this thread ever made a minor error in judgement which didn't threaten anyone's safety but ended up feeling threatened by the action of someone actually who was wielding a weapon at high speed.
Yup, no-one has ever dine/had that happen.
Could/should he have pulled over sooner, yes, does that mean the driver has to act/drive in a threatening and dangerous manner, no. Only one person in that footage puts another at risk of harm and it isn't the person on a bike.
Get your heads out your arses ffs, it's encumbant on the driver to not put others in harms way, they did, they clearly need retraining but the bosses will obviously deny the fault lies squarely with their driver and the procedure they should follow.
If you can't see the by far bigger wrong you've no business been on the road in any capacity never mind behind the wheel of a motor!
I respectfully believe you to be mistaken. I trust that you have perched atop a velocipede amid the tumultuous stream of road traffic before? If so, then I trust you know as well as I that unless one is disadvantaged aurally, it is indeed quite possible to perhaps hear the dulcet tones of a DERV burning internal comustion engine coming up rather quickly behind you?
If we agree on this then we could perhaps further agree that such a sound is normally not a pleasant one for cyclists? With this, I intend to intimate that said cyclist will be imminently accompanied by some sort of smoke billowing death machine, be it builders van, Astra estate piloted by some insane cigarette smoking harridan with optional spawn, taxi, et cetera.
I therefore venture that the cyclist most likely looked behind themselves in a direction retrograde to their direction of travel, was aware of the hospital bound chariot of mercy and proceeded to panic and act like an entitled little fuckwit. There is nothing to complain about here.
Ambulance trumps jumped up self entitled pedal monkey. By might, by mass and by mission.
I trust that we have an accord?
No we don't because you can't see what is wrong here and by the comments most can't. Safety trumps everything here and in that what the ambulance driver attempted was a dangerous and threatening act.
You and the rest coming down on the rider here are simply in the wrong,
Oh no we aren't. He was in the wrong and has no road sense. The fact this then carries over to complaints over social media makes it worse as he still hasn't a clue even with the video to review.
Is it just me or does Ian call the ambulance driver a "fucking wanker", looking for a conflict from the off?
I'm about to enjoy the video, before doing so my view is that a cyclist could be lying under a truck somewhere and an ambulance is en route...
Do I:
1. Ride like a nob then whinge
2. Get out of the way and accept that driving a heavy object at speed will have some risks
Complete toss pot.
Ironic comment on his about the police not coming round to his old man's house after a burglary. Maybe they were held up for some reason.
I'd like to see the previous 30 seconds Mr Hunter, so you can show your claim is justified.
Otherwise what on earth were you doing ?
Have you all missed the point?
The complaint was about the dangerous driving of the ambulance, which it clearly was, barely missing the cyclist's back wheel.
Two wrongs don't make a right.
No, I addressed that point in my reply, and I disagree - the driver didn't barely miss the back wheel of the bike - clearly the driver put on the anchors and actually gave quite a decent gap before he pulled across. I note that the driver would have been able to clearly see both the back wheel of the bike and the front of the ambulance so could easily judge the gap - the cyclist is also moving away from the crossing point - hence it's nothing like a close pass and I reckon the driver could have actually safely pulled across a fraction earlier.
Given I'm pretty biased towards cyclists in road incidents, I reckon you'd have to be incredibly biased to think it wasn't just the cyclist at fault here.
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