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Say your at a red traffic light and police/ambulance but the sirens on

Do you have to go through if you’re directly blocking them and the only way to get clear is to go through the lights? Hasn’t happened to me but just wondering what the rules are.
Rules? Why would you not want to drive through a red light to let an emergency services vehicle through?
You might be at a junction and the if you go forward cars might hit you
Original post by ThuggerThugger
Do you have to go through if you’re directly blocking them and the only way to get clear is to go through the lights? Hasn’t happened to me but just wondering what the rules are.


No, that would be unsafe and illegal. Just pull over as best as you can to clear space. The emergency services don't have a policy of getting through at any cost - they understand that safety comes first.
Original post by Ozcan696969
You might be at a junction and the if you go forward cars might hit you

I thought as long as it is safe was a given? LOL my bad, I meant as long as it is safe.
Original post by Democracy
No, that would be unsafe and illegal. Just pull over as best as you can to clear space. The emergency services don't have a policy of getting through at any cost - they understand that safety comes first.


So essentially even if they can clearly not get through they just have to wait?
Original post by ThuggerThugger
So essentially even if they can clearly not get through they just have to wait?


Yes, as far as I'm aware.
Reply 7
Avatar for IWMTom
IWMTom
20
Original post by ThuggerThugger
Do you have to go through if you’re directly blocking them and the only way to get clear is to go through the lights? Hasn’t happened to me but just wondering what the rules are.


You cannot cross a red light to let an emergency vehicle pass. It's silly, but it's true, and if you were to be flashed by a camera you could not use this as a defence.
Reply 8
Avatar for IWMTom
IWMTom
20
Original post by MrMusician95
Rules? Why would you not want to drive through a red light to let an emergency services vehicle through?

It is illegal to cross a light on red.
Reply 9
Avatar for Zarek
Zarek
21
Original post by ThuggerThugger
Do you have to go through if you’re directly blocking them and the only way to get clear is to go through the lights? Hasn’t happened to me but just wondering what the rules are.


Response drivers are trained not to bully other road users in to doing something illegal. So you will find they turn of the sirens in the situation you describe and just leave the lights on. So make space if you can without crossing a stop line but never feel you have to do something illegal. I think there would be benefit in the Highway Code having some more detail on this.
Original post by IWMTom
It is illegal to cross a light on red.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/you-allowed-break-law-emergency-10382190.amp

I'm just saw this. Yikes.
Thanks peeps

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