Flashing blue light in your rear view mirror

[A.J.]

@sonic A bit of a daft question really but what is expected of you when you get a flashing blue light in your rear view mirror assuming it is not you they are pulling over. I never know what the correct reaction should be. Should I pull over and stop, should I pull over and slow down, should I continue to drive normally.

I am obviously aware that I should cause as little hindrance to the police car/ambulance/fire engine's progress as I possibly can. Personally I usually pull over and slow down, but what is the prefered action for a motorist to take by the emergency services ?

 

[Blobcat]

Get out of the way, safely and legally.

For example, you’re stopped at red traffic lights with a traffic light camera. Blue lights come up behind you, if you choose to move forward on red then you have committed an offence and the camera will issue you a ticket. Your defence that you were moving out of the way for a Ambulance / Police Car / Fire Engine isn’t a valid reason to break the law.

 

[L John]

Get out of the way, safely and legally.

For example, you’re stopped at red traffic lights with a traffic light camera. Blue lights come up behind you, if you choose to move forward on red then you have committed an offence and the camera will issue you a ticket. Your defence that you were moving out of the way for a Ambulance / Police Car / Fire Engine isn’t a valid reason to break the law.

Crazy but completely true.
The emergency services cannot expect you to break the law. If they're behind you and there's no way to let them pass you are not allowed to break the speed limit to help either.
If continuing at the speed limit (or slower if the speed limit is unsafe in the conditions) causes a shorter delay than pulling to the side, then you should continue until an opportunity shows and you can get out of their way.
As you have no idea what their emergency is you may wish to be a good samaritan and assist them by breaking the law since you know you wont be putting anyone in danger and would be helping them.
It's possible you could save a life by moving through a red light with them right behind you warning public with blues and two's, and you could be the hero of the day. Just be prepared to take the consequences.

 

[keefysher]

We had cause to pull over as far left as possible last Friday afternoon on the A35 at Ringwood when I heard sirens, looked in the towing mirror that gave me a far longer view down the stationary queue of traffic behind to establish it was one marked and one unmarked police cars. The cars to the right and front of me pulled right and forward, the cars behind in the outside lane pulled to their right and stopped, the cars in front of me pulled left and forward so we effectively created a chicane around me withe caravan. The cars behind me pulled left except for the tw4t in the BMW who initially went to fill the gap we had created. I was directing with my arm through the open window as I had noticed the police cars well ahead of everyone else. There were comments of w4nker aimed at the BMW driver from other cars. It was a hot day.

I'm always more aware of things when towing as I know I have to make bigger gaps, not sneak through that tight space etc.

Once through the police cars raced off, must have been late for tea as there was no incident anywhere further up the road as far as Bournemouth / Poole when we turned off to Wimbourne.

The BMW was behind me all the way to Dorchester until he attempted to cut me up on a roundabout, not realising just how quick a 3litre V6 disease towing a large caravan actually moves. He had to return to his lane, swerving quickly. He was somewhat surprised when I overtook him on the first bit of dual carriageway as I am high enough to see over the cars in front

 

[EmilysDad]

Get out of the way, safely and legally.

For example, you’re stopped at red traffic lights with a traffic light camera. Blue lights come up behind you, if you choose to move forward on red then you have committed an offence and the camera will issue you a ticket. Your defence that you were moving out of the way for a Ambulance / Police Car / Fire Engine isn’t a valid reason to break the law.

and that's exactly what happened locally a few years back. The Joe Public actually crossed the junction to get out of the way of the blue light instead of moving so far into the junction to let the blue light through

 

[SL63 Mark]

The blue lights are first and foremost a warning so you can expect a speeding vehicle to overtake you. They are hoping to avoid causing an accident. The second purpose is to move traffic out of the way if safe to do so. What bugs me is when you move out the way, and queue jumpers take the opportunity to follow the ambulance up the road.

 

[L John]

That used to bug me too but I changed my thought process around it and now I just think how my day is so much better that the person the ambulance is going to meet.
There's a higher chance the ambulance chaser will need them in the future than you so just let it go without a second thought

 

[Rory]

Years ago my dad drove fire engines and he said people just stopping if there wasn't good clearance for him to get past was a nightmare - far better to carry on until you find somewhere to pull over.

You can go through a red light if pressed to by a police car - it can be taken as being directed to go through the light. They're not supposed to push people to do it though.

 

[Blobcat]

You can go through a red light if pressed to by a police car - it can be taken as being directed to go through the light. They're not supposed to push people to do it though.

Where is that written down?

 

[A.J.]

Where is that written down?

He means if you are being chased by a Police car

 

[Blobcat]

He means if you are being chased by a Police car

If you’re being chased by a police car you’ll get let off with a suspended sentence £15 victim surcharge and 20 hours community service…
(Assuming they catch you and the evidence isn’t lost)…

 

[L John]

Years ago my dad drove fire engines and he said people just stopping if there wasn't good clearance for him to get past was a nightmare - far better to carry on until you find somewhere to pull over.

You can go through a red light if pressed to by a police car - it can be taken as being directed to go through the light. They're not supposed to push people to do it though.

My understanding is they can direct you to go through a red light if they are controlling a junction but they cannot direct you from behind.
If that's incorrect can you show something that supports your claim.
I think it should be law that you should cautiously go through a red light if it's to allow an emergency service vehicle through, but it's not as far as I ever knew, unless something changed that I'm not aware of.

 

[L John]

Can't see anywhere on this page that says you can go through a red light when pressed to by a police car, quite the opposite.

Looking forward to seeing something that confirms what you said Rory if something has changed.
I think you've just misunderstood what your dad was telling you.
As you said people just stopping at the side of the road when there's no room to pass is a big problem and they should continue until they can move over with plenty of space.
I can't imagine how it would feel to a fire engine driver to knows they're going to a fire with people trapped inside and some numpty just stops and blocks the road not realising a fire engine is bigger than their car.

 

[Blobcat]

Can't see anywhere on this page that says you can go through a red light when pressed to by a police car, quite the opposite.

Looking forward to seeing something that confirms what you said Rory if something has changed.
I think you've just misunderstood what your dad was telling you.
As you said people just stopping at the side of the road when there's no room to pass is a big problem and they should continue until they can move over with plenty of space.
I can't imagine how it would feel to a fire engine driver to knows they're going to a fire with people trapped inside and some numpty just stops and blocks the road not realising a fire engine is bigger than their car.

The number of car drivers with no idea there are “blues and twos“ right behind them is staggeringly large. Seen it to many times on all roads with drivers completely unaware of what’s going on behind them.

 

[AMGeed]

The last time I needed to pull in to let an ambulance past I kerbed the life out of my rear n/s alloy
Not my finest hour!

 

[Rory]

There a helpful video here:

 

[Blobcat]

There a helpful video here:

Specifically mentions not to break the law when letting Emergency service vehicles through

 

[SmartAmg]

The last time I needed to pull in to let an ambulance past I kerbed the life out of my rear n/s alloy
Not my finest hour!

I will do my very best, to get out of the way to let the emergency services pass, but sorry I ain't bouncing up a kerb and ruining an alloy.

 

[Rory]

Specifically mentions not to break the law when letting Emergency service vehicles through

Appreciate your point but if a police car is behind you and the driver is going mental at you to get out of the way then it would be unfortunate if that couldn't be described as being directed to get out of the way. It's a bit daft because of all the emergency services the police are least likley to be going to a life or death situation.

 

[Steve Paul Thompson]

I can remember stopping at a red light on a busy dual carriageway when a fire engine sounded its siren behind me. I went through the lights but the fire engine waited till the lights went green. I thought I was doing the right thing aswell..