General Discussion > Other Government Agencies
Lights & Sirens driving
bajdas:
During the working week, I witnessed the following:
Station wagon, emergency services car with multi-lights on top active. Siren was active on a pulse sound. Approaching North Tce from King William St near the Festival Centre. Travelling in a southern direction. Single person in the car.
This was during a lunchtime, mid working week and the new tram tracks are being built in the area. Heavy traffic was at a stand-still on the corner of North Tce & King William St traffic lights.
I first saw the vehicle when it was on the outer lane (near median strip), wrong side of King William St travelling south. This was near the traffic lights at the Festival Centre.
Because the traffic lights were red, traffic was stopped across all four lanes (both sides) so the vehicle was blocked.
He turned into the turning gap in the median strip & waited for traffic to clear. The sirens & lights were left on.
Because of the lights & sirens (I assume), the traffic did not move when lights turned green. I assume because they did not know which way the emergency vehicle was going to go.
The emergency vehicle then moved to the parking/bus stop lane on the wrong side of the road. This was the only lane clear.
He then continued traveling south on the wrong side of King William St in the parking lane/bus stops, until he reached the intersection of North Tce & King William St.
He then turned right, heading down North Tce towards West Tce.
On North Tce he was on the wrong side of the road in the outer lane (near median strip).
Now my questions are:
1/ He was responding to a possible life threat incident. But is traveling in the parking lane on the wrong side of a four lane road (one side) in the city too dangerous ?
2/ With the city becoming more unfriendly to vehicles, is there a designated/recommended route for emergency vehicles to take to cross the city ? Or should there be ?
Can the vehicles travel on the tram tracks part of the road when they are finished ?
For background on question 2, I work in a city building on North Tce. Since the new tram tracks have been installed, emergency vehicles using lights/sirens have consistently been blocked by traffic while traveling on North Tce.
I assumed this would all be resolved when the construction works have been completed, but now I wonder !!!
Please note, that I am not a current designated P1 driver. I have driven lights/sirens many years ago and I am a current emergency service vehicle driver. But not P1.
Observations and comments are made not as a criticism, but for myself to learn more. Thus I am not mentioning the agency involved because it would not aid the discussion.
**personal observations only**
Robert-Robert34:
Judging by the way you described this station wagon it must have been an SAAS Regional Team Leaders vehicle responding to a Category 1 case and as the vehicle turned into the median strip probably got a radio call saying the case was cancelled
6739264:
You use what parts of the road you can... I've been in appliances coming along the wrong side of the road upto an intersection on a blind crest of a hill. Not great, but hey thats what you do when the situation warrants it.
bajdas:
--- Quote from: Robert34 on August 19, 2007, 08:15:40 AM ---Judging by the way you described this station wagon it must have been an SAAS Regional Team Leaders vehicle responding to a Category 1 case and as the vehicle turned into the median strip probably got a radio call saying the case was cancelled
--- End quote ---
Not a cancelled call...he continued using the parking lane.
car31:
bajdas- Not sure on any definite answers but i know emergency vehicles in Melbourne use the tram tracks to their advantage often. When traffic is heavy the tram tracks act as a clear path for the emergency vehicle to travel when trams are not in the way. It makes me wonder if SAAS,MFS,SAPOL etc will be having any P1 training for city driving using the new tram tracks etc?
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