Red Lights & Emergency Vehicles

[Alan Braggins]

In article <e01e0633-c274-4b4b-ba48-550a22ffd7e9@f63g2000hsf.googlegroups.com>, Paul Weaver wrote:
>On 15 Apr, 21:32, Nuxx Bar <[email protected]> wrote:
>> "Letting an emergency vehicle through" is not a valid defence to a
>> charge of jumping a red light when driving.
>>
>> Is this fair? What should a motorist do if he has to choose between
>> jumping a red light and not getting out of the way of an emergency
>> vehicle? There is not always anything that the motorist can do in the
>> first place to prevent the situation from arising.
>
>I am a motorist, I own a car, and drive it on an occasional basis.
>
>If an emergency vehicle comes up behind me while I'm waiting at a red
>light on my bike (this is a cycling group after all), I will dismount
>and pull my bike onto the pavement, therefore avoiding breaking any
>applicable laws.

I am a motorist, I own a car, and drive it on a regular basis. I have
been through a red light to make way for an emergency vehicle. I wasn't
charged with anything. Should anyone provide evidence that anyone has ever
been found guilty in that situation, then I will worry about it being
unfair.

It's easier on my bike of course, simply moving to the very edge of the
road has always been adequate for me then. But only an idiot would argue
that makes it an anti-motorist measure.

 

[BigRab]

The Highway Code is quite clear on the matter:

Rule 219:
"Consider the route of such a vehicle and take appropriate action to
let it pass, while complying with all traffic signs"

 

[Nat]

I'm a cyclist so I just pull over onto the pavement.