speeding ambulances

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1307918/Ambulance-driver-emergency-faces-prosecution-life-saving-112mph-dash.html

Ambulance driver on emergency call faces losing his licence over life-saving 112mph dash By Daily Mail Reporter Last updated at 12:28 PM on 1st September 2010 An ambulance driver could lose his licence and his job after he was clocked at 112mph while delivering a liver for a life-saving operation. Paul Bex, 51, was told he had to get the organ from Cambridge to the North East within three hours when he was caught by a speed camera in Lincolnshire. Mr Bex, who was driving under blue lights from Addenbrooke's Hospital, has received a letter from police stating he will be prosecuted for speeding on July 7. Loophole: Driver Paul Bex faces losing his licence as it is illegal for ambulances not carrying a patient to exceed the speed limit Loophole: Driver Paul Bex faces losing his licence as it is illegal for ambulances not carrying a patient to exceed the speed limit A loophole in the law makes it illegal for ambulances not carrying a patient to exceed the speed limit - even if the driver is on a medical emergency. And despite an appeal by his employer, Lifeline Medical Transport Service, the main service provider for GP collection services for Addenbrooke's, Mr Bex, of Duxford, Cambridgeshire, will have to appear in court. Anyone caught speeding in excess of 100 miles per hour faces a 12-month ban. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1307918/Ambulance-driver-emergency-faces-prosecution-life-saving-112mph-dash.html#ixzz0yKsdTN5k

How dare he try and save a persons life!

On the other hand depending on traffic he could have put other peoples lives at risk too.

Still pretty stupid.

Rue Britannia!

I can't say I'm surprised, although I'm surprised they're prosecuting someone driving under blue lights.

Depending on where in the North East, 3 hours from Cambridge is a pretty tough call - I'd like to see how someone does that without exceeding the speed limit.

Helicopter?

This really sounds like cutting off the nose to spite the face. If the liver recipient was a lawmaker, I wonder if the same decision would be made.

The air ambulance helicopters in the UK are fully funded by donations (no money from the National Health Setvice or other parts of the government( and there aren't that many, so I'm not surprised they're not being used for courier flights.

IIRC pretty much every police driver in those circumstances has been let off when they were driving that fast with the emergency lights on. That said, this guy is not the first driver who is transporting urgent transplants who got into trouble for speeding in the UK. Not that this makes it any better.

He could talk his way out of it...

He did have part of a patient

"can we have your liver then?"

mad_machine wrote: "can we have your liver then?"

MR. BROWN: Yes?

MAN: Hello. Uhh, can we have your liver?

MR. BROWN: My what?

MAN: Your liver. It's a large, ehh, glandular organ in your abdomen.

ERIC: [sniff]

MAN: You know, it's, uh,-- it's reddish-brown. It's sort of, uhh,--

MR. BROWN: Yeah,-- y-- y-- yeah, I know what it is, but... I'm using it, eh.

ERIC: Come on, sir.

MR. BROWN: Hey! Hey! Stop!

ERIC: Don't muck us about.

MR. BROWN: Stop! Hey! Hey! Stop it. Hey!

MAN: Hallo.

MR. BROWN: Ge-- get off.

MAN: What's this, then? Mmh.

MR. BROWN: A liver donor's card.

MAN: Need we say more?

ERIC: No!

MR. BROWN: Listen! I can't give it to you now. It says, 'in the event of death'. Uh. Oh! Ah. Ah. Eh.

MAN: No one who has ever had their liver taken out by us has survived.

MR. BROWN: Agh.

ERIC: Just lie there, sir. It won't take a minute.

MR. BROWN: [screaming]

MAN: Zip it up.

MR. BROWN: [screaming]

Maybe he is The Stig?

My wife was an EMT in Boston for a while and I think she'd agree the temptation to do stupid stuff when you have flashing lights is very real. Wasn't there recently a study showing a net safety loss when ambulances turned on the lights and sirens, even for actual emergencies?

That said, BS on the license revoking for a first offense.

On the other end of the spectrum, the main highway that runs through town has a 55mph speed limit, but great visibility, no intersections (on/off ramps only), etc., so I usually drive 65-70mph or so on that particular stretch of road. Every time I see an ambulance ahead with it's lights on, I nearly catch up to it. Sorry, but if someone is dying, shouldn't you be in a berkeleying hurry!?!?

Teh amberlamps around here are as slow and aimless as the cars. It's scary.

16vCorey wrote: On the other end of the spectrum, the main highway that runs through town has a 55mph speed limit, but great visibility, no intersections (on/off ramps only), etc., so I usually drive 65-70mph or so on that particular stretch of road. Every time I see an ambulance ahead with it's lights on, I nearly catch up to it. Sorry, but if someone is dying, shouldn't you be in a berkeleying hurry!?!?

Yeah they should. But I can't imagine one of those 10,000lb monster trucks is going to do well under braking or trying to pull an evasive manuever for the inevitable shiny, happy person that isn't paying attention.

Save the Liver!

/Threadjack/

I've been looking at radar detectors, and they all advertise an "emergency alert" thing that supposedly alerts you to amberlampses and stuff. I just wanna know how they work. Do ambulances have a radar transmitter on them or something?

sometimes you don't have the equipment in the rig and you need to get them somewhere that does quick.

I hope the liver went to someone sick that didn't trash their first one.

Driving with the amberlamps on (real emergency) in NY state the driver has 2 rules. He does not have the right of way in a yielding situation and he must use discretion. Does not have to obey "traffic devices." Its up to the driver to judge if its worth the risk of killing themselves the crew and some family over complaint of chest-pain.

Around here in PA they can not exceed the speed limit/disregard traffic control devices etc. Friendly State troopers are notorious for pulling over rigs and giving tickets.

At least we have lots of helicopters. That must be a sweet rig they have over there, I have never seen one go over 85-90. They are not exactly aerodynamic.

Driving to work last Friday morning, I was passed(I was running 60mph) by a pickup truck with an E-tag(in law enforcement speak, that means someone who works in emergency services) and as we topped a hill, I noticed kids standing beside the roadway. I backed off but the truck kept going and yep, there was the school bus picking up kids with lights flashing. He made a half-assed attempt to stop and kept going . I stopped with ease and while pulling away, noticed that the truck pulled into the ambulance authority office about 1/2 mile away. I couldnt resist so I pulled in too and confronted him. Seems that he was late for work and justified his actions. I pulled out my cell phone and called the ambulance manager who is on the E-911 Board with me. He was not pleased that his EMT/driver took such an attitude. I dont know what the final job action was but Can you imagine the headlines" Ambulance Authority Driver Kills 3 Children Boarding School Bus" I really didnt want to rat someone out but his whole attitude stunk and was going to hurt someone.
I will say that generally most ambulance employees are very careful and cautious because they see on daily basis what happens to human body when crashes occur.

Tommy Suddard wrote: /Threadjack/ I've been looking at radar detectors, and they all advertise an "emergency alert" thing that supposedly alerts you to amberlampses and stuff. I just wanna know how they work. Do ambulances have a radar transmitter on them or something?

Here in Virginia (and I imagine elsewhere) police, fire, and emergency vehicles use some sort of device to trip traffic signals in their favor. I suspect the detector could be picking up whatever signal they are putting out.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traffic_signal_preemption

http://www.themirt.com/how.html

Back in the day, I came across an accident scene where a car had pulled out in front of an ambulance that had the whole lights and sirens thing going. When I was there, the sweet young thing that had been driving the car was screaming at the investigating cop that she had the right of way. I doubt if that went well for her.