Medic Rules

[[TC]»Elmo«]

(2012-10-08 07:50)Ras Wrote:  

(2012-10-08 06:11)Chuck Wrote:  Sorry, slightly OT but nevertheless. Why is there a "Lights only" ? I mean does such a vehicle have priority over other traffic or not? Standing in a traffic-light-queue with lights on waiting for green seems pointless.
Sirens were invented to warn others which are not in the direct view of such a vehicle, for instance at crossings or intersections, but approaching a crossing with lights but not sirens would only cause mayhem there and is extremely dangerous for everyone involved.

In Denmark at least, lights only has same priority over other traffic as lights and siren. Lights only in an ambulance vehicle is usually used when a patient isnt in a critical condition and dont need the stress a siren can make or at night when there are little to none traffic, to avoid unnecessary noise while people are sleeping, etc.

It's somewhat similar in the UK, used for lower priority stuff where speed isn't critical, for example if someone's ill enough to need hospital, but stable and not in pain - often when it has been called by a doctor. They do still have traffic priority, but aren't going to be blasting through junctions and red lights and will be driving with much more caution.

On Lights & Siren, the siren is often turned off when it's not needed - when there's light/no traffic on an open road and no junctions - but that does depend somewhat on how critical the response is; first responder paramedic cars tend to be driving so fast they never turn the siren off.