@@archechme Possibly because he has his own speed limit to abide by (as stupid as that is), something like 20 mph over the limit a normal car driver can do for certain areas, although that might just be for ambulances as it was a training video for ambulance drivers that I got that info from here on TH-cam, (I haven't taken any courses so I'm not an expert on it by any means :) ). If this is true still when he's not driving an ambulance, then if that's a 50 mph zone he can't be clocked doing more than 70 mph, even though the conditions make driving faster still perfectly safe for his training and vehicle combo.
@@markwright3161 dunno how police work but when l volunteered for one of the rapid response cars for SCAS the rule was 50% above the posted speed limit. Now, with that said, you could go faster but if an accident was caused it’f fall on your shoulders-50% or less above the posted speed limit was deemed low risk enough to make progress.
0:43 another great tip (from the great Robin of Ambuchannel) is to signal right and go around the roundabout in a full loop, to let the EMS vehicle through, and then exit in the direction you were going to anyway.
I feel like watching these videos should be made mandatory when learning to drive! It would make drivers a lot more aware of how to assist blue light drivers and would ultimately make emergency driving safer and more efficient. Certainly from my standpoint, as someone who will soon be learning, I have learnt a lot about what is safest and most effective to allow a vehicle to pass when on blue lights. Thanks for the videos Chris, keep them coming!
I was about to comment something very similar. It is amazing that this is not something taught. So many people go into melt down when a blue light approaches.
@@stevesmith7530 Agree, think of some test locations. Drivers who live on outer islands, pass tests and they might have never faced a roundabout let alone a motorway :)
@@leeramsden3095 even in a less remote area, it would be difficult to ensure a blue light vehicle played a part in a worthy number of tests and learning sessions
Interesting point you made on sirens. I didn't know that by switching off sirens you are happy for cars to continue as is at that point. Am I correct in that. Must admit I would have probably tried to move over also.
I would switch if sirens at night and when driving in a non overtake area, I’m 12 so I don’t even have a drivers license but I still know what I would do!
Generally speaking this is correct and how EMS is trained in the UK. If they are backing off from you and have sirens off, they wish for you to continue as normal at the speed limit and don't panic. They may do this if they cannot safely overtake or if for example there is a queue of traffic. If they are behind close with sirens on, you should pull in and let them past, but its important to only pull in where its safe to do so and don't panic, do it calmly, the EMS will find his or her away around you if you cannot safely stop. Its much quicker for them to continue safely behind you at the speed limit than if you stop and they cannot safely overtake. :)
Often you'll see ambulances turn off sirens when approaching traffic at a red light from behind. That is because only a police officer can command you to pass a red light, plus might panic vehicles in to entering a dangerous junction.
But to some drivers when the hear a siren and they see the blue lights and the police car switches of the siren behind them alot might stop because they would think they are the ones thats being pulled over.
Great to see your "safety bubble" - reminds me of what I've been taught before: lines on the road are just paint, use the full road to the extent needed to drive safely
This is what I tell my parents when I take the racing line over roundabouts (when it's safe to do so, obvs). Unfortunately they don't quite see it my way : )
@@johngladwaller2436 and i use it a lot on mountain roads every weekend, when it's not a blind curve and there are no vehicles oncoming nor following, i always use the full road when turning a curve. It makes for more comfortable turning especially when its uphill lol.
Brilliant video - thanks for showing. I certainly never realised that killing the sirens implied that you should keep trying to make progress until you can provide the emergency vehicle driver with a safer overtake opportunity.
It said on my driving license to "tear down the dotted line" as well dude, apparently not what was meant!! Be safe brother, excellent to see examples of good driver responses to emergency vehicles 👍🏻👍🏻
Good point - I missed that one. That must be terrifying for an EMT, so many people only look right when pulling left onto a main road. But from what I've gathered this driver makes the same runs quite often so he must know these roads like the back of his hand, including when he's approaching a joining road.
I wish I knew why videos like this made me cry. Something about the inherent kindness of people in seeing an emergency vehicle and knowing to get out of the way because somebody's in serious danger, even if it's not always done in the most helpful manner.
Great video. Really appreciate these. I must say I'd probably have attempted to pull-over seeing any blue lights in my rear view without sirens, but now I realise you would rather people keep moving. They should show videos like this to learners. Very useful.
As a driver and prospective paramedic these videos are doubly helpful, one I know how to react when and emergency vehicle is coming and 2 what I'll have to deal with while driving under blue lights.
As a HGV driver I need more space and time to get out of the way . I've seen the approaching Emergency vehicle and found cars passing me to take the space I was indicating to use then stopping dead in front of me causing me to be an obstacle . A shake of the head from the ambulance driver said it all . Was good to see most drivers took a positive response to aid your progress
Had something kind of related on a dual carriageway once - cars all moved to their respective sides to create a channel up the middle, daft brain dead driver goes straight up the middle in front of the emergency services. Makes you wonder what goes on in their head “oh look, all these people moving for me, how nice of them!” 🤪
@@acra89 Perhaps the driver's name was Moses. Or even Moses reincarnated doing it out of force of habit. There are most definitely some very silly drivers out there.
I remember a few weeks after I passed my driving test, I stopped on a blind bend to let an ambulance past. It still makes me cringe thinking about it! Now I try to be hyper aware, I love when you get a thank you beep after spotting an emergency vehicle very far back and can plan how and where to stop/let it last! :)
Chris man!!!!! I think you're my brother from another mother. Total calm and skill 100% Thanks for your service to mankind 🙏🙏🙏🙏 Be safe be well, love from Dublin 👍♥️🇨🇮👍♥️🇨🇮👍♥️🇨🇮👍♥️🇨🇮👍
I saw that too, so many drivers check to the right when turning left, wait for a gap in the traffic coming and then go without a cursory check to the left to make sure nothing is overtaking, and therefore coming towards them on the wrong side of the road. Admittedly, overtaking near a junction is a bad idea for that exact reason, but it could be an emergency vehicle like in this video
I think they were aware but no left pull-in available & limited opportunity to overtake safely, so proceeded without slowing needlessly. As said before, could've indicated & moved into right turn lane but maybe saw left pull-in available only a few metres further ahead. Quite difficult to see EV front indicators in a night-dimmed rear view mirror with glare from blues, so If EV was turning right it could've impeded more.
Thought the same thing. So many people look at the lane of traffic closest to them and nowhere else instead of checking both ways before leaving a junction :(
@@wirdy1 The above comment is about the vehicle coming from the junction on the right. They didn't need to pull in as they weren't actually on the road that chris was on. They should have just waited before turning left for another 2 seconds.
Speed camera got you there! 😉 I must remember to signal as I didn’t realise it was useful to you. usually I get right over safely and I drive a van 99% of the time! Very informative video
As a van driver myself, I put on the hazards to show I've seen them then indicate which way I'm going. If I'm in town, I stop dead as I have traffic behind I can stop as well if there is a lot going on up ahead. Just some tips for ya
One time I saw an ambulance in my rear view mirror (in the middle of a sunny day I might add), just as I went over the hill. It was a good 3/4 of a mile away, and the fact there were lights at the bottom of the hill that were red, I decided to just stick to the left knowing it'll be wanting to come past soon. It's amazing how long it took people to react to it coming, some even oblivious until it had gotten within 30ft. Use your damn mirrors people.
This is very informative and will hopefully make us normal drivers behave even better when emergency vehicles are approaching. It can save time and possible lives.
I was taught to cancel the blues as well as the twos when you don't want vehicles to react especially on bends or in situations where you don't want someone to stop or push through lights or junctions, regardless to cancelling sirens the vehicles in front will still react the same way with just your lights on where as turning everything off indicates to them you're no longer trying to get round them and most likely they'll continue then when its safe back on 360 blues, maybe its different all around the country as i have noticed a few drivers cancel sirens but leave lights on and the vehicles still react the same so i always used to cancel everything in a situation where my presence would cause a dangerous/non ideal situation to occur, really good response run though you made progress well and i'm glad you change the sirens as often as you do as it drives me mad when you see a responder just keeping wail on the entire drive...different tones for a reason! you should get them to add you a Hi-Lo siren it works wonders, lovely response vehicles you have now they're much better than the zafira's lol.
@@radiosification Yes, wail for example shouldn't be used at junctions as the chances are people will miss it as the siren tone is designed for distance, siren changing is normally what gets the reaction due to sudden change in sound as well as the cars horn when changing tone, wail is what you'd want to use when at distance then yelp for close contact then for immediate reactions you want the piercer tone (forgot the uk name for it but US call it that) as its fast and grabs attention quicker so say at red lights you'd use that possibly the yelp but you wouldn't want the wail but depends on the driver as siren tones do have different purposes but its up to the driver to decide which tone he thinks is best for the situation but some just leave the wail on the entire drive then wonder why cars dont respond like they should etc.
Amazing insight to the people behind the blue lights. Learnt a lot! They should teach these tips on driving lessons, hopefully could help someone one day!
Back in the 1970s I took the Advance Drivers course and having a police driving instructor as my tutor, he made me very aware of what I should do to aid an emergency vehicle on it's way. You highlighted them in your video, but what I am finding is a lot of emergency drivers are not signalling their intentions at junction's, roundabouts etc. So I just signal and slow or stop to the nearside. Had the vehicle signalled I could have been better prepared and made a different choice. The police are the worst culprits by the way. I would like to thank all you guys and gals for the fantastic job you all do. Stay safe.
Thanks for this. I live on what might be called an Ambulance Alley as a main route into town and to the local A&E and it's good to get a look at best practice from the point of view of the ESV driver.
This is so useful, this situational awareness around emergency vehicles should be part of the theory, or even just “you must watch these videos” before you get a licence, and every 10 years after.
Love the dual carriageway straddle, something I've been taught to pass the advanced motoring test. Not many people know what I'm on about when I tell them about it 😄
🚑 This video should be part of the theory test/hazard awareness, nobody is taught how to react when emergency services are closing in, I know its just common sense at the end of the day but many thanks.. was more than extremely helpful. 😉👍
I have been driving for nearly 30 years now and this is teaching me still. How to react to emergency vehicles was never part of my driving lessons may be it should be.
It kind of never is part of driving lessons as far as I know even when I passed 6 years ago or so. Though we had 2 occasions where I had to pull over, each I did well before I needed to but that's just it really, observations and planning are the key elements ultimately.
Thanks for sharing these, I find them really interesting. The long left bend I think shows us what many, including myself, can be guilty of, and that’s the mentality of “blue lights, I must move over”. Now I feel much more aware of my surroundings and how the emergency vehicle can progress. If sirens off, I’ll keep going until safe to pull in or sirens back on.
At 3:40 you should have turned the blue lights off so that the cars didn’t pull over. If I was driving and I saw blue lights without a siren, then I would be pulling over.
6:27 "stradding the white lines ... is my 'safety bubble'" is what i actually learned and use myself. We live through parts of a country where streetlight is VERY UNCOMMON and lots of obstacles on either sides, stradding in the middle of the road even on a two way road is my safety bubble too. I always use this when driving through the mountains at night every weekend. Sometimes there would be trucks parking on sides, construction materials, or just crack up dogs randomly crossing. Only thing i have to be careful when in the middle of the road is dogs laying exactly in the middle. Almost hit one.
Does the fact that your vehicle is unmarked lead drivers to think you might be a police unit pulling them over, so in the scenario at 5:20 does that increase the chance of the car in front slowing down as you remain behind them, rather than passing?
Here (NZ) the Police are the only agency to use red and blue lights, fire and ambulance (inc medics) use red / red white. So there's no confusion at night, they also have different tones but those are not as standardised.
@@davenz000 In the UK, all emergency services use blue only, Fire, Ambulance and Police (I believe certain may use green, as it is illegal to have blue or green lights visible on your vehicle here I think). So I could see it potentially being confusing, especially at night. The Skoda that the uploader uses is sometimes used in Police units too (I think Canine units), to add to the potential confusion.
@@OliverStogden My local doctor response car started out using green lights but people wouldn't move over for them so they had to switch to blues. Having a mixed blue/green strobe may make it easier for people to tell the difference between a police car and a medic.
It is interesting to see just how close you get to some cars before they seem to notice you or decide to take action...here (US) where I live now if you see can emergency vehicle coming everyone pulls right over and stops on both sides of the road so they can go through the middle and we do it as early as safe to do so.
I saw another video posted by my local police force that said. If an emergency vehicle is behind you and not running their siren they're not actively asking you to move over. This could be due to it not being a good place for them to overtake. Yes their lights are going which is saying "I am on an emergency run, be prepared to move, pay attention to me" but not yet "move over, I want to pass" so like the black SUV did, they said to go to the speed limit if safe and watch for the emergency vehicle to make its move or activate it's siren.
Exactly that. Siren off and reduce speed to allow the car in front to find a safe place to pull over or for an opportunity on the road layout to make a safe overtake.
I didn't know until my driving instructor told me that the sirens are controlled via the horn, I always thought they were switches somewhere, so I wonder if although the siren is being turned off (by the double horn) some people may think they are being beeped at and therefore feel pushed to pull over even though that's not what was intended. I also forget that despite how much driver training rapid response drivers go through, they are still human and the more we can do to help them get past the easier it is for them.
Side note. I'd love to be able to have this level of responsibility, but doubt I ever will. I always get the good shivers when I see/hear an emergency vehicle, not sure why, haha!
These are great videos to watch and very informative. I must admit, I do get very nervous when I hear or see emergency vehicles as I don’t want to impede their progress. Lots of great tips to keep in mind whilst on the road. Keep up the good work.
I really love your vids! I'm looking for getting a job in my country (Argentina) as a highway safety truck driver. And this kind of videos are very very helpful! Thanks!! :)
Possibly the most common challenge we find in the fire service is vehicles stopping on blind bends. More awareness of this would be great; however, blue light drivers need to consider holding right back without sirens until clear of a blind corner (as to not ‘scare’ drivers into stopping on said bend).
2:05, Technically a bit naughty there, no exemption for passing on zig-zags, but understandable in the circumstances. :) I like watching many of your videos because we operate on the same patch a lot of the time, I know the roads you are driving and have a good understanding of your decision-making process on them. Knowing that bit of dual carriageway well, I would be teaching drivers not to straddle, but to take lane 2 as it gives the furthest view ahead. Outer lanes for a left, inner lanes for a right when the road appears empty. Not sure what speeds you are reaching there, but well into 3 figures would not be unusual in some vehicles, others I would still be struggling to reach the speed limit. Excellent positioning on the roundabout at J8, moving into the wrong lane to avoid potentially conflicting traffic. My only real criticism would be the tendency to take the "racing line" rather than the "best view ahead" line, something that requires a lot of conscious effort as it is counter-intuitive.
Really appreciate the feedback and time taken to review them. All good notes for me and right about the lines and tendency for that, I'll try and work on it. Thanks
@@ChrisMartinEMS You're most welcome. I often see the same drivers every 3-6 months and have to remind them about cornering lines, so as with just about every road user they do it right for testing, then soon slip back into intuitive habit :) Heck, even I do it! Too many civilians have no understanding of the processes of response driving, they merely think "fast", never of all the safety considerations that both come before, and are an important part of "fast", you ain't getting there very fast wrapped around a lamppost or with a motorcyclist sat in the windscreen:) BTW, how are you so lucky? You always seem to get the observant, considerate, situationally aware road users on your runs!
Really enjoying this channel. Reminds me of another German channel with an ambulance driver, it was very useful for learning purposes but was unfortunately taken down (due to privacy concerns I believe). Appreciate what you do, and please keep posting videos 👍
In a situation where you don’t want to pass the cars in front the most effective thing is to kill the blues, same as at a set of traffic lights. At night most people see the lights before they hear the siren (particularly since a lot of the people driving at night like their music at deafening levels) and blues do pressure the car in front a lot to do ‘something’ In that situation it’s best to just kill everything then light up again when it’s safe to proceed.
While y'all may drive on the wrong side of the road (sorry gotta pick on y'all a bit 'bout that lol), I have noticed that drivers over there seem to actually GET it, and are far more likely to properly yield than over here in the States. Well done! Please stay safe out there!
Came across your channel tonight Chris and I can say that I very much enjoy watching your Blue light runs! Interesting to see how you guys do it on the other side of the globe. Hello from a firey Downunder!
interesting piece of emergency driving there. Personally I like emergency runs at night time, with the difference here that I hardly ever make use of sirens during night shifts, at least between 10 PM and 5 AM I hardly switch the siren on as it's simply not necessary here;
Hi Chris. I've been watching your Bleu Light runs, thank you for addeting the info on "our" behaviour on the road. There used to be a Dutch Ambulance (Robin/Ambuchannel) driver who did the same. But after doing so for almost 2 years, he had to remove ALL his video's from his YT channel and stop making these video's. I always tought they were amazing to watch and to learn from. Keep 'm coming :-) Niels from The Netherlands.
I used to watch all of Robin's Ambu videos as well, Niels. Sadly I think it all came down to the privacy issues that appeared. Maybe if Robin had never said/informed us of where he was actualy going to, or what the reason was, he may have been able to continue and keep it going. As Chris never mentions where he's actually having to go to (destination) - or for what reason he's out - so maybe that's how it's done? As in also not showing your SatNav on screen which people could see and then know where you are needed and heading for, etc . . . Perhaps?
Bang on. Hoping that what I am doing can be used for public awareness and road safety as well as promote the day to day work we do but without compromising patient privacy. All being done with awareness of my Trust to ensure I'm keeping within the bounds of sensible social media use and not risking identifiable information to be put out there. Thanks for watching.
@@ChrisMartinEMS Hi Chris, I was watching one of your other videos and thought 'I wish he'd do a narrated video showing what to do and what not to do'. Absolutely cracking, thankyou so much.
So the key is just keep going make some space and get out of the way when then safe to do so and don't panic the driver will find a safe way pass you. Iv got both car and motorbike license and i dont remember being given meaningful advice on this.
I've watched a few of these 'blue-light runs' videos on here. It absolutely amazes me - how many drivers DON'T remember their highway code... and what to do when they see blue lights in their mirrors ! That's IF they're actually using them at all !
I've seen some blue light runs where they kill both lights and sirens if the intention is cars keep moving/or not i.e. when they and/or you have no where to go, dodgy bend for overtaking, etc. and you don't want them to panic stop or put themselves or others in danger? Just wondering if there was any difference in the response driver training or are they just training runs. Excellent driving by the way and hats off to all you response vehicle drivers.
Nice vid!! I just find the whole sirens on and off thing, whilst keeping the blue lights on, extremely confusing. Different country different rules and habits of course, but I'd say that if you don't want drivers to give you way, shut off the whole circus and switch back on only once you want to use your emergency vehicle exceptions again.
@@lor7780 So if a police car just has light's on you will not indicate then move over to the left and stop When safe to do so. In my country of Australia light's or siren we have to get out of the way.
@@lor7780 That makes the whole topic even more interesting. Why then would an emergency vehicle's driver consider only using lights? Here in NL using only lights does not give emergency rights, as you state too. But road users still respond to it here.
The thing about switching the sirens off and allowing a vehicle in front to continue where it's not safe to overtake... is that a general blanket rule for all UK emergency vehicles? If so, that's handy to know
Taught fairly widely in emergency driving from what I know and have seen some good feedback from other services on here that say the same. Just doesn't seem to be widely spread to the public so hopefully this will help. Thanks for watching.
Appologise if asked previously. On the long left where you did not want to over take you only silence the audio and not the lights? Do we (the public) not have to react to a light over siren? Some cars may not have sirens but are equipped with temp lights. - Awesome content hope more see this as very educational. Thanks Chris!
How do speeding tickets work when you're on a blue light call, is there some check made to make sure you haven't just flipped them on to get home on time for tea ( ;) ) or is there an automatic cancellation associated with your registration and understanding that if you've got the lights on, you mean business? Very interesting videos, and agree they should form part of mandatory driver training on how to best help the emergency services, I feel like I've learned a few things.
I'm surprised the companies that manufacture these siren units don't include an automated female voice that says 'thank you' that can be activated when someone makes your progress easier.
I cant remember the force but somewhere in UK they had a matrix board in back window that displayed thank you but its never really been a thing as its law/expectation to move out the way for blue lights so as much as a thank you would be nice its not really needed or a priority thing.
At 4.15 coming to the roundabout you had lights but np sirens and the roundabout looked partially covered would sirens assisted you just to make sure if someone on the roundabout was made more aware .
Saw the part about being in the middle of the road, on the lines ( Safety bubble? ) Would it be possible for you to link or explain this please? Would be much appreciated, thank you and great videos.
Although your vehicle is a 'personal take home vehicle' also, does it have all the telematic systems in place like a normal marked emergency services vehicles? Also please can you do a longer exterior walk around and an interior show and explain why you went for the roof lighting instead of going for the lighting that police have which is installed in the brake and headlight housing?
I also wonder, if on a dual carriageway a quick left signal is useful to let the EMS driver know that you’re aware of them. A bit like one might do to aid a motorcycle who’s ’making progress’ on a nice twisty B road.
Just thought, how do you day to day swtich off your brain from auto pilot when not in blue light mode, even in personal driving at red traffic light do you get a thought itch and have to stop yourself and rethink - stop its a red light ?
I think you get more reaction at night just because your in a black car with blues and twos on people mistake you for a police car plus of course it’s night time and you stand out more great driving tho I’ve been an advanced driver myself for some 25 years best thing I did ought to be compulsorily after your driving test great vid 👍🇬🇧
Brilliant video with what to do in situations to help. Is the double beep "thank you" part of your style or something that every blue light driver will do (or trained to do)?
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I love watching the speed cameras give you their fanfare as you progress through.
At 8:00 he seems to slow for it but it still flashes.
@@archechme Possibly because he has his own speed limit to abide by (as stupid as that is), something like 20 mph over the limit a normal car driver can do for certain areas, although that might just be for ambulances as it was a training video for ambulance drivers that I got that info from here on TH-cam, (I haven't taken any courses so I'm not an expert on it by any means :) ). If this is true still when he's not driving an ambulance, then if that's a 50 mph zone he can't be clocked doing more than 70 mph, even though the conditions make driving faster still perfectly safe for his training and vehicle combo.
@@markwright3161 dunno how police work but when l volunteered for one of the rapid response cars for SCAS the rule was 50% above the posted speed limit. Now, with that said, you could go faster but if an accident was caused it’f fall on your shoulders-50% or less above the posted speed limit was deemed low risk enough to make progress.
But notice how one of them doesn’t flash?
@@cejay67 not all Gastos (the old ones) are maintained anymore. Some are used, now, just as a deterrent.
0:43 another great tip (from the great Robin of Ambuchannel) is to signal right and go around the roundabout in a full loop, to let the EMS vehicle through, and then exit in the direction you were going to anyway.
God I miss ambuchannel!
@@KieronSchenko I do too...
Tbh I sometimes do this anyway when there are two lanes leading up to a roundabout and the queue for turning left is too long :)
I feel like watching these videos should be made mandatory when learning to drive!
It would make drivers a lot more aware of how to assist blue light drivers and would ultimately make emergency driving safer and more efficient. Certainly from my standpoint, as someone who will soon be learning, I have learnt a lot about what is safest and most effective to allow a vehicle to pass when on blue lights.
Thanks for the videos Chris, keep them coming!
agreed
I was about to comment something very similar. It is amazing that this is not something taught. So many people go into melt down when a blue light approaches.
@@stevesmith7530 Agree, think of some test locations. Drivers who live on outer islands, pass tests and they might have never faced a roundabout let alone a motorway :)
@@leeramsden3095 even in a less remote area, it would be difficult to ensure a blue light vehicle played a part in a worthy number of tests and learning sessions
Commen sense comes into it unfortunately some drivers have lack of it.
I’m in awe with everyone’s driving in reaction to the lights and sirens nearly everyone acted perfectly
Interesting point you made on sirens. I didn't know that by switching off sirens you are happy for cars to continue as is at that point. Am I correct in that. Must admit I would have probably tried to move over also.
I would switch if sirens at night and when driving in a non overtake area, I’m 12 so I don’t even have a drivers license but I still know what I would do!
Generally speaking this is correct and how EMS is trained in the UK.
If they are backing off from you and have sirens off, they wish for you to continue as normal at the speed limit and don't panic. They may do this if they cannot safely overtake or if for example there is a queue of traffic. If they are behind close with sirens on, you should pull in and let them past, but its important to only pull in where its safe to do so and don't panic, do it calmly, the EMS will find his or her away around you if you cannot safely stop.
Its much quicker for them to continue safely behind you at the speed limit than if you stop and they cannot safely overtake. :)
Often you'll see ambulances turn off sirens when approaching traffic at a red light from behind. That is because only a police officer can command you to pass a red light, plus might panic vehicles in to entering a dangerous junction.
@@Dosedmonkey I get that
But to some drivers when the hear a siren and they see the blue lights and the police car switches of the siren behind them alot might stop because they would think they are the ones thats being pulled over.
Great to see your "safety bubble" - reminds me of what I've been taught before: lines on the road are just paint, use the full road to the extent needed to drive safely
This is what I tell my parents when I take the racing line over roundabouts (when it's safe to do so, obvs). Unfortunately they don't quite see it my way : )
@@johngladwaller2436 and i use it a lot on mountain roads every weekend, when it's not a blind curve and there are no vehicles oncoming nor following, i always use the full road when turning a curve. It makes for more comfortable turning especially when its uphill lol.
'Just paint' and motorcycles aren't a good mix.
Brilliant video - thanks for showing.
I certainly never realised that killing the sirens implied that you should keep trying to make progress until you can provide the emergency vehicle driver with a safer overtake opportunity.
It said on my driving license to "tear down the dotted line" as well dude, apparently not what was meant!! Be safe brother, excellent to see examples of good driver responses to emergency vehicles 👍🏻👍🏻
Thats a good one lol
5:12 Just shows how the driver pulling out should still look both ways. A few seconds difference in overtaking etc could have ended badly
Good point - I missed that one. That must be terrifying for an EMT, so many people only look right when pulling left onto a main road. But from what I've gathered this driver makes the same runs quite often so he must know these roads like the back of his hand, including when he's approaching a joining road.
I saw that as well
Indeed, a driver should always look where they are going.
I wish I knew why videos like this made me cry. Something about the inherent kindness of people in seeing an emergency vehicle and knowing to get out of the way because somebody's in serious danger, even if it's not always done in the most helpful manner.
All the same for me mate ❤️
Great video. Really appreciate these. I must say I'd probably have attempted to pull-over seeing any blue lights in my rear view without sirens, but now I realise you would rather people keep moving. They should show videos like this to learners. Very useful.
As a driver and prospective paramedic these videos are doubly helpful, one I know how to react when and emergency vehicle is coming and 2 what I'll have to deal with while driving under blue lights.
As a HGV driver I need more space and time to get out of the way . I've seen the approaching Emergency vehicle and found cars passing me to take the space I was indicating to use then stopping dead in front of me causing me to be an obstacle . A shake of the head from the ambulance driver said it all . Was good to see most drivers took a positive response to aid your progress
I can only imagine how tricky it is for you to find a safe space to give way to them. What do you normally drive?
@@archechme agency driver . So allsorts
Had something kind of related on a dual carriageway once - cars all moved to their respective sides to create a channel up the middle, daft brain dead driver goes straight up the middle in front of the emergency services.
Makes you wonder what goes on in their head “oh look, all these people moving for me, how nice of them!” 🤪
@@acra89 "FINALLY! The peasants in their dirty non-German cars recognise my greatness and part for my pleasure!"
@@acra89 Perhaps the driver's name was Moses. Or even Moses reincarnated doing it out of force of habit. There are most definitely some very silly drivers out there.
I feel that this should be a whole part of the driving test is what to do when this happens they need more emphasis on it
I agree completely
Even in the theory test as well
How fast was the speeding ticket for 8:00 😂😉
I remember a few weeks after I passed my driving test, I stopped on a blind bend to let an ambulance past.
It still makes me cringe thinking about it!
Now I try to be hyper aware, I love when you get a thank you beep after spotting an emergency vehicle very far back and can plan how and where to stop/let it last! :)
Chris man!!!!!
I think you're my brother from another mother.
Total calm and skill 100%
Thanks for your service to mankind 🙏🙏🙏🙏
Be safe be well, love from Dublin
👍♥️🇨🇮👍♥️🇨🇮👍♥️🇨🇮👍♥️🇨🇮👍
Always enjoyed Ambuchannel with Robin, loved the Dutch scenery and generally how responsive the Dutch drivers were to the emergency vehicle.
That driver at 05:14 on the right never even saw you. Always amazes me, the blue lights can't get much brighter
I saw that too, so many drivers check to the right when turning left, wait for a gap in the traffic coming and then go without a cursory check to the left to make sure nothing is overtaking, and therefore coming towards them on the wrong side of the road. Admittedly, overtaking near a junction is a bad idea for that exact reason, but it could be an emergency vehicle like in this video
I think they were aware but no left pull-in available & limited opportunity to overtake safely, so proceeded without slowing needlessly. As said before, could've indicated & moved into right turn lane but maybe saw left pull-in available only a few metres further ahead. Quite difficult to see EV front indicators in a night-dimmed rear view mirror with glare from blues, so If EV was turning right it could've impeded more.
@@wirdy1 if your on about the black x5 thats not what im on about
Thought the same thing. So many people look at the lane of traffic closest to them and nowhere else instead of checking both ways before leaving a junction :(
@@wirdy1 The above comment is about the vehicle coming from the junction on the right. They didn't need to pull in as they weren't actually on the road that chris was on. They should have just waited before turning left for another 2 seconds.
Speed camera got you there! 😉 I must remember to signal as I didn’t realise it was useful to you. usually I get right over safely and I drive a van 99% of the time! Very informative video
As a van driver myself, I put on the hazards to show I've seen them then indicate which way I'm going. If I'm in town, I stop dead as I have traffic behind I can stop as well if there is a lot going on up ahead. Just some tips for ya
One time I saw an ambulance in my rear view mirror (in the middle of a sunny day I might add), just as I went over the hill. It was a good 3/4 of a mile away, and the fact there were lights at the bottom of the hill that were red, I decided to just stick to the left knowing it'll be wanting to come past soon. It's amazing how long it took people to react to it coming, some even oblivious until it had gotten within 30ft.
Use your damn mirrors people.
I see that alot some people don't care at all.
Absolutely loved the commentary and talk through of what you’re doing and why. So helpful to explain to civilians. Well done
This is very informative and will hopefully make us normal drivers behave even better when emergency vehicles are approaching. It can save time and possible lives.
I was taught to cancel the blues as well as the twos when you don't want vehicles to react especially on bends or in situations where you don't want someone to stop or push through lights or junctions, regardless to cancelling sirens the vehicles in front will still react the same way with just your lights on where as turning everything off indicates to them you're no longer trying to get round them and most likely they'll continue then when its safe back on 360 blues, maybe its different all around the country as i have noticed a few drivers cancel sirens but leave lights on and the vehicles still react the same so i always used to cancel everything in a situation where my presence would cause a dangerous/non ideal situation to occur, really good response run though you made progress well and i'm glad you change the sirens as often as you do as it drives me mad when you see a responder just keeping wail on the entire drive...different tones for a reason! you should get them to add you a Hi-Lo siren it works wonders, lovely response vehicles you have now they're much better than the zafira's lol.
Do you think people respond differently to high low sirens? If so, what seems different? Just curious.
@@radiosification Yes, wail for example shouldn't be used at junctions as the chances are people will miss it as the siren tone is designed for distance, siren changing is normally what gets the reaction due to sudden change in sound as well as the cars horn when changing tone, wail is what you'd want to use when at distance then yelp for close contact then for immediate reactions you want the piercer tone (forgot the uk name for it but US call it that) as its fast and grabs attention quicker so say at red lights you'd use that possibly the yelp but you wouldn't want the wail but depends on the driver as siren tones do have different purposes but its up to the driver to decide which tone he thinks is best for the situation but some just leave the wail on the entire drive then wonder why cars dont respond like they should etc.
Super informative. This should be shown in place of adverts on UK TH-cam videos. Needs a wider audience!
Excellent video. This should be part of driving licence test - hazard perception and how to respond appropriately to emergency vehicles
Amazing insight to the people behind the blue lights. Learnt a lot! They should teach these tips on driving lessons, hopefully could help someone one day!
Brilliant stuff Chris. This should be mandatory viewing for learner drivers. Interesting to get indications of your speed too.
More experienced ones also. I've been driving since 1964, and learned from this video. (When I started driving, emergency vehicles just had a bell!)
Back in the 1970s I took the Advance Drivers course and having a police driving instructor as my tutor, he made me very aware of what I should do to aid an emergency vehicle on it's way. You highlighted them in your video, but what I am finding is a lot of emergency drivers are not signalling their intentions at junction's, roundabouts etc. So I just signal and slow or stop to the nearside. Had the vehicle signalled I could have been better prepared and made a different choice. The police are the worst culprits by the way.
I would like to thank all you guys and gals for the fantastic job you all do. Stay safe.
Thanks for this. I live on what might be called an Ambulance Alley as a main route into town and to the local A&E and it's good to get a look at best practice from the point of view of the ESV driver.
This is so useful, this situational awareness around emergency vehicles should be part of the theory, or even just “you must watch these videos” before you get a licence, and every 10 years after.
Love the dual carriageway straddle, something I've been taught to pass the advanced motoring test. Not many people know what I'm on about when I tell them about it 😄
All of these examples should be though in all driving schools. Thank you and great video!
🚑 This video should be part of the theory test/hazard awareness, nobody is taught how to react when emergency services are closing in, I know its just common sense at the end of the day but many thanks.. was more than extremely helpful. 😉👍
5:10 a good example of why you be cautious around people at junctions… ‘turning left without looking left’ as my driving instructor said
aLlOw mE tO pUlL oUt FoRcInG yOu bAcK oVeR
Really insightful video Chris, I like the notes throughout the driving that explains the processes.
I have been driving for nearly 30 years now and this is teaching me still. How to react to emergency vehicles was never part of my driving lessons may be it should be.
It kind of never is part of driving lessons as far as I know even when I passed 6 years ago or so. Though we had 2 occasions where I had to pull over, each I did well before I needed to but that's just it really, observations and planning are the key elements ultimately.
Great video Chris! love the insight from a blue light trained driver
Very interesting to see you highlighting the good and bad - I think I'm pretty good when I see blue lights, always glad to improve my driving.
Glad to see that most of us are helping you with road space as much as we can..
Looking forward to the video on the safety bubble!
Thanks for sharing these, I find them really interesting. The long left bend I think shows us what many, including myself, can be guilty of, and that’s the mentality of “blue lights, I must move over”.
Now I feel much more aware of my surroundings and how the emergency vehicle can progress. If sirens off, I’ll keep going until safe to pull in or sirens back on.
Great comments, very helpful!
I have used lessons learned to respond better to emergency vehicles.
At 3:40 you should have turned the blue lights off so that the cars didn’t pull over. If I was driving and I saw blue lights without a siren, then I would be pulling over.
thanks for posting this, super helpful as a driver to see from the other side
6:27 "stradding the white lines ... is my 'safety bubble'" is what i actually learned and use myself. We live through parts of a country where streetlight is VERY UNCOMMON and lots of obstacles on either sides, stradding in the middle of the road even on a two way road is my safety bubble too.
I always use this when driving through the mountains at night every weekend. Sometimes there would be trucks parking on sides, construction materials, or just crack up dogs randomly crossing. Only thing i have to be careful when in the middle of the road is dogs laying exactly in the middle. Almost hit one.
Some of what you show others doing is basic common sense but its still nice to see some people in the UK still have it
Chris, really nice video!
Another great video - any chance we can see your speed on the screen? Well done to all the drivers here.
The unawareness of some drivers just astonishes me
Does the fact that your vehicle is unmarked lead drivers to think you might be a police unit pulling them over, so in the scenario at 5:20 does that increase the chance of the car in front slowing down as you remain behind them, rather than passing?
Here (NZ) the Police are the only agency to use red and blue lights, fire and ambulance (inc medics) use red / red white. So there's no confusion at night, they also have different tones but those are not as standardised.
Hey really good question, I'd like to know the answer too.
@@davenz000 In the UK, all emergency services use blue only, Fire, Ambulance and Police (I believe certain may use green, as it is illegal to have blue or green lights visible on your vehicle here I think). So I could see it potentially being confusing, especially at night. The Skoda that the uploader uses is sometimes used in Police units too (I think Canine units), to add to the potential confusion.
@@OliverStogden On call Doctor uses Green but i believe the green has about the same power and not having a light at all.
@@OliverStogden My local doctor response car started out using green lights but people wouldn't move over for them so they had to switch to blues. Having a mixed blue/green strobe may make it easier for people to tell the difference between a police car and a medic.
It is interesting to see just how close you get to some cars before they seem to notice you or decide to take action...here (US) where I live now if you see can emergency vehicle coming everyone pulls right over and stops on both sides of the road so they can go through the middle and we do it as early as safe to do so.
I saw another video posted by my local police force that said. If an emergency vehicle is behind you and not running their siren they're not actively asking you to move over. This could be due to it not being a good place for them to overtake. Yes their lights are going which is saying "I am on an emergency run, be prepared to move, pay attention to me" but not yet "move over, I want to pass" so like the black SUV did, they said to go to the speed limit if safe and watch for the emergency vehicle to make its move or activate it's siren.
Exactly that. Siren off and reduce speed to allow the car in front to find a safe place to pull over or for an opportunity on the road layout to make a safe overtake.
I didn't know until my driving instructor told me that the sirens are controlled via the horn, I always thought they were switches somewhere, so I wonder if although the siren is being turned off (by the double horn) some people may think they are being beeped at and therefore feel pushed to pull over even though that's not what was intended.
I also forget that despite how much driver training rapid response drivers go through, they are still human and the more we can do to help them get past the easier it is for them.
8:00 Speed camera flashes like giving you achievements!
As a late new ish driver, these video's are really helping me understand what's important in these situations. Thanks. And great driving :)
Side note. I'd love to be able to have this level of responsibility, but doubt I ever will. I always get the good shivers when I see/hear an emergency vehicle, not sure why, haha!
These are great videos to watch and very informative. I must admit, I do get very nervous when I hear or see emergency vehicles as I don’t want to impede their progress. Lots of great tips to keep in mind whilst on the road. Keep up the good work.
I really love your vids! I'm looking for getting a job in my country (Argentina) as a highway safety truck driver. And this kind of videos are very very helpful! Thanks!! :)
Possibly the most common challenge we find in the fire service is vehicles stopping on blind bends.
More awareness of this would be great; however, blue light drivers need to consider holding right back without sirens until clear of a blind corner (as to not ‘scare’ drivers into stopping on said bend).
I now have a new bucket list item, to get a happy double chirp from a running police car
2:05, Technically a bit naughty there, no exemption for passing on zig-zags, but understandable in the circumstances. :) I like watching many of your videos because we operate on the same patch a lot of the time, I know the roads you are driving and have a good understanding of your decision-making process on them.
Knowing that bit of dual carriageway well, I would be teaching drivers not to straddle, but to take lane 2 as it gives the furthest view ahead. Outer lanes for a left, inner lanes for a right when the road appears empty. Not sure what speeds you are reaching there, but well into 3 figures would not be unusual in some vehicles, others I would still be struggling to reach the speed limit.
Excellent positioning on the roundabout at J8, moving into the wrong lane to avoid potentially conflicting traffic. My only real criticism would be the tendency to take the "racing line" rather than the "best view ahead" line, something that requires a lot of conscious effort as it is counter-intuitive.
Really appreciate the feedback and time taken to review them. All good notes for me and right about the lines and tendency for that, I'll try and work on it.
Thanks
@@ChrisMartinEMS You're most welcome. I often see the same drivers every 3-6 months and have to remind them about cornering lines, so as with just about every road user they do it right for testing, then soon slip back into intuitive habit :) Heck, even I do it!
Too many civilians have no understanding of the processes of response driving, they merely think "fast", never of all the safety considerations that both come before, and are an important part of "fast", you ain't getting there very fast wrapped around a lamppost or with a motorcyclist sat in the windscreen:)
BTW, how are you so lucky? You always seem to get the observant, considerate, situationally aware road users on your runs!
Really enjoying this channel. Reminds me of another German channel with an ambulance driver, it was very useful for learning purposes but was unfortunately taken down (due to privacy concerns I believe). Appreciate what you do, and please keep posting videos 👍
That was Ambuchannel, a great driver working in Amersfoort, Netherlands
In a situation where you don’t want to pass the cars in front the most effective thing is to kill the blues, same as at a set of traffic lights. At night most people see the lights before they hear the siren (particularly since a lot of the people driving at night like their music at deafening levels) and blues do pressure the car in front a lot to do ‘something’
In that situation it’s best to just kill everything then light up again when it’s safe to proceed.
I love these blue light runs
While y'all may drive on the wrong side of the road (sorry gotta pick on y'all a bit 'bout that lol), I have noticed that drivers over there seem to actually GET it, and are far more likely to properly yield than over here in the States. Well done!
Please stay safe out there!
Kinda brings back the nostalgia of the legendary Ambuchannel
Came across your channel tonight Chris and I can say that I very much enjoy watching your Blue light runs! Interesting to see how you guys do it on the other side of the globe. Hello from a firey Downunder!
Thanks for the feedback and hope you're keeping safe down there.
@@ChrisMartinEMS I love the two beep thing you did you should do that for e everyone good who moves well out the way 👍
i feel light they gave you space on a blind bend because of the blue lights ... my opinion
I can't believe that there are actually that many people using their signal.
The night time rides people definitely respond better, which is good ofc
interesting piece of emergency driving there. Personally I like emergency runs at night time, with the difference here that I hardly ever make use of sirens during night shifts, at least between 10 PM and 5 AM I hardly switch the siren on as it's simply not necessary here;
Very Informative and entertaining video, thanks Chris. Please continue with this style of vids!
Hi Chris. I've been watching your Bleu Light runs, thank you for addeting the info on "our" behaviour on the road. There used to be a Dutch Ambulance (Robin/Ambuchannel) driver who did the same. But after doing so for almost 2 years, he had to remove ALL his video's from his YT channel and stop making these video's. I always tought they were amazing to watch and to learn from. Keep 'm coming :-)
Niels from The Netherlands.
I used to watch all of Robin's Ambu videos as well, Niels. Sadly I think it all came down to the privacy issues that appeared. Maybe if Robin had never said/informed us of where he was actualy going to, or what the reason was, he may have been able to continue and keep it going. As Chris never mentions where he's actually having to go to (destination) - or for what reason he's out - so maybe that's how it's done? As in also not showing your SatNav on screen which people could see and then know where you are needed and heading for, etc . . . Perhaps?
Bang on. Hoping that what I am doing can be used for public awareness and road safety as well as promote the day to day work we do but without compromising patient privacy. All being done with awareness of my Trust to ensure I'm keeping within the bounds of sensible social media use and not risking identifiable information to be put out there. Thanks for watching.
@@ChrisMartinEMS Hi Chris, I was watching one of your other videos and thought 'I wish he'd do a narrated video showing what to do and what not to do'. Absolutely cracking, thankyou so much.
So the key is just keep going make some space and get out of the way when then safe to do so and don't panic the driver will find a safe way pass you. Iv got both car and motorbike license and i dont remember being given meaningful advice on this.
I've watched a few of these 'blue-light runs' videos on here.
It absolutely amazes me - how many drivers DON'T remember their highway code... and what to do when they see blue lights in their mirrors ! That's IF they're actually using them at all !
I've seen some blue light runs where they kill both lights and sirens if the intention is cars keep moving/or not i.e. when they and/or you have no where to go, dodgy bend for overtaking, etc. and you don't want them to panic stop or put themselves or others in danger? Just wondering if there was any difference in the response driver training or are they just training runs. Excellent driving by the way and hats off to all you response vehicle drivers.
Nice vid!! I just find the whole sirens on and off thing, whilst keeping the blue lights on, extremely confusing. Different country different rules and habits of course, but I'd say that if you don't want drivers to give you way, shut off the whole circus and switch back on only once you want to use your emergency vehicle exceptions again.
@@lor7780 Sure, you're absolutely right. But you also hit the nail in the head with "in theory" 😉
@@lor7780 So if a police car just has light's on you will not indicate then move over to the left and stop
When safe to do so. In my country of Australia light's or siren we have to get out of the way.
@@lor7780 That makes the whole topic even more interesting. Why then would an emergency vehicle's driver consider only using lights? Here in NL using only lights does not give emergency rights, as you state too. But road users still respond to it here.
The thing about switching the sirens off and allowing a vehicle in front to continue where it's not safe to overtake... is that a general blanket rule for all UK emergency vehicles? If so, that's handy to know
Taught fairly widely in emergency driving from what I know and have seen some good feedback from other services on here that say the same. Just doesn't seem to be widely spread to the public so hopefully this will help. Thanks for watching.
Learning so much from these videos! Thanks
Appologise if asked previously. On the long left where you did not want to over take you only silence the audio and not the lights? Do we (the public) not have to react to a light over siren? Some cars may not have sirens but are equipped with temp lights. - Awesome content hope more see this as very educational. Thanks Chris!
How do speeding tickets work when you're on a blue light call, is there some check made to make sure you haven't just flipped them on to get home on time for tea ( ;) ) or is there an automatic cancellation associated with your registration and understanding that if you've got the lights on, you mean business? Very interesting videos, and agree they should form part of mandatory driver training on how to best help the emergency services, I feel like I've learned a few things.
I'm surprised the companies that manufacture these siren units don't include an automated female voice that says 'thank you' that can be activated when someone makes your progress easier.
I cant remember the force but somewhere in UK they had a matrix board in back window that displayed thank you but its never really been a thing as its law/expectation to move out the way for blue lights so as much as a thank you would be nice its not really needed or a priority thing.
At 4.15 coming to the roundabout you had lights but np sirens and the roundabout looked partially covered would sirens assisted you just to make sure if someone on the roundabout was made more aware .
Can we see your speed on your next video if possible. I'm always curious as to how fast your going :)
Saw the part about being in the middle of the road, on the lines ( Safety bubble? ) Would it be possible for you to link or explain this please? Would be much appreciated, thank you and great videos.
7:59 you went past me at the turn to my drive i cant believe i just randomly came across this video wow lmao, really good driving by the way!
Although your vehicle is a 'personal take home vehicle' also, does it have all the telematic systems in place like a normal marked emergency services vehicles? Also please can you do a longer exterior walk around and an interior show and explain why you went for the roof lighting instead of going for the lighting that police have which is installed in the brake and headlight housing?
I also wonder, if on a dual carriageway a quick left signal is useful to let the EMS driver know that you’re aware of them. A bit like one might do to aid a motorcycle who’s ’making progress’ on a nice twisty B road.
I think you got flashed by the speed camera
In these situations it doesn't matter, so long as there's proof of his dispatch/attendance to an issue, the fine from the camera will be waived
Just thought, how do you day to day swtich off your brain from auto pilot when not in blue light mode, even in personal driving at red traffic light do you get a thought itch and have to stop yourself and rethink - stop its a red light ?
Have you read Roadcraft on your training 🇬🇧👍
You should turn your blue lights off if you don't want them to break.
Some surprisingly alert drivers here
it would be better if you showed the speed in the corner ads to the thrill of the drive if you get what i mean.
dont know if it can be done.
I think you get more reaction at night just because your in a black car with blues and twos on people mistake you for a police car plus of course it’s night time and you stand out more great driving tho I’ve been an advanced driver myself for some 25 years best thing I did ought to be compulsorily after your driving test great vid 👍🇬🇧
Brilliant video with what to do in situations to help. Is the double beep "thank you" part of your style or something that every blue light driver will do (or trained to do)?
Double beep is how the sirens are turned off :)
Fantastic video, thank you.
Excellent video Chris, very informative! 😀
Normally when we have blues behind us at a roundabout, we have to make another circle and not just brake or whatever..
My new life goal is to get the coveted ‘double beep’ from an emergency responder haha.
Good luck and let m know when it happens :)
I feel like a speedo would make a great addition