Do emergency vehicles use turn signals?

[Locut0s]

I'm talking when they are racing at speed with their sirens on. I'm sure they do but it just occurred to me that a lot of the time you wouldn't really notice nor would they need to use them. When you hear a siren approaching you pull over and certainly you try not to navigate an intersection if possible, unless you are already in it. Which leads to a second question, what with all the fucking morons you see who DON'T pull over but just sit there thinking they know which way the emergency vehicle will go. I'm trying to think if the emergency vehicles I've seen use their turn signals but I can't remember, with their emergency lights and deafening siren I'm not sure I would ever notice.

 

[brblx]

they don't use them around here. if traffic on their side of the road (and sometimes the other, depending on the width) and anyone at an intersection isn't completely stopped, they pretty much just slow down and wait until they are sure that they're in the clear.

 

[boomhower]

A lot of them can't, the flashers flash with the emergency lights.

 

[Locut0s]

A lot of them can't, the flashers flash with the emergency lights.

Huh interesting. Again it wouldn't really make any difference. You really should be stopped if you are anywhere near an emergency vehicle with their sirens on anyway.

 

[jlee]

I try to, but honestly I've never checked to see if it's actually noticable while everything is flashing.

 

[brblx]

i guess it all depends on how the electronics are implemented. go perform science.

 

[Locut0s]

I try to, but honestly I've never checked to see if it's actually noticable while everything is flashing.

What's your opinion of the ass holes who just sit there in the middle of the road and want you to go around them? I mean for fucks sake just pull over right?

 

[Paladin3]

Even if they weren't already flashing with their other emergency lights, why would the emergency vehicle driver even bother? The only proper action for motorists hearing emergency sirens is to pull to the right and stop. It doesn't mater where the emergency vehicle is going so signaling your turns would only confuse drivers into thinking they had other options.

And if an emergency vehicle wants a driver to do something specific they get on their PA system and give the driver instructions.

 

[brblx]

What's your opinion of the ass holes who just sit there in the middle of the road and want you to go around them? I mean for fucks sake just pull over right?

people just lack common sense. around here, i'll often continue to roll slowly while hugging the edge of the road if i'm like 5 lanes away from the emergency vehicle...especially on a divided road. it just seems much more safe than slamming on your brakes.

others will stop in the middle of an inner lane. or the turning lane. or while changing lanes. or in an intersection. it's just like....really? really?!?!

 

[Numenorean]

The real bright ones are the ones who are blocking the intersection and have a red light, the ambulance can't get by and they wait for it to turn green before going - it's not like they will ticket you for letting them through if it's safe to go through.

 

[Kaervak]

Depends on how much of a nightmare is going on in the back of my squad. If we're running hot because it's nearly the end of our shift, yep. Got time to "relax" and whatnot. If we're running hot because they're essentially dying right in front of us, no. One hand on the wheel, the other hand on the siren/air horn control.

 

[Locut0s]

Depends on how much of a nightmare is going on in the back of my squad. If we're running hot because it's nearly the end of our shift, yep. Got time to "relax" and whatnot. If we're running hot because they're essentially dying right in front of us, no. One hand on the wheel, the other hand on the siren/air horn control.

You guys are heroes btw (paramedics that is)! I don't envy that job.

BTW as a side topic do you have people calling you to pick up drunk guys a lot? My mother is an assistant manager of a 7-11 (and I was too for a few years) and she sees this a lot. One guy in particular sits in front of the store pan handling till he gets enough money to buy some bottles of listerene or booze (we don't sell alcohol in convenience stores here in Canada so he would get the booze elsewhere). He will then chug the booze or listerene and pass out on the street. People walking buy feel sorry for him or are afraid he's going to die so they all an ambulance for him. Got to the point where they were sending an ambulance for the guy every few days.

 

[NoCreativity]

I can tell you very few will use turn signals around here during normal driving so I doubt they do it for emergencies. Great example for the masses

 

[TheVrolok]

I honestly didn't frequently.. It was always left hand on the wheel and right hand on the siren. We always switched sirens when proceeding through intersections so there was rarely a hand for the signal.

 

[waggy]

What's your opinion of the ass holes who just sit there in the middle of the road and want you to go around them? I mean for fucks sake just pull over right?

not always possible. i was on a busy 4 lane road. a cop came up behind i couldn't go foreword or to the side (idiot wouldn't pull over) so i stopped. figured that was safer then jamming my way in or continueing to move.


but yeah i seen it a few times idiots that just slow down and expect the cop/ambulance whatever to go around them. Whenever its a fire truck i really hope that its going to that persons house to put out the fire..lol

 

[MedicBob]

We usually try to use them where I am at. Most seem to, but it does depend on what else is going on.

None of our turn signals or 4 way flashers are part of the emergency lights.

Our horn buttons, just like your car, switch the siren modes so we don't have to keep on hand on the siren control.

 

[FallenHero]

I don't, as the wiring and light setup in our cars make them part of the flashing bright lights. Besides, the last thing on my mind when driving lights and siren is turning on my turn signal...you should be stopped, pulled over and not blocking the intersection anyway. I'm going through possible situations and how to handle them in my head before I even arrive.

 

[911paramedic]

Sometimes.

 

[TheVrolok]

We usually try to use them where I am at. Most seem to, but it does depend on what else is going on.

None of our turn signals or 4 way flashers are part of the emergency lights.

Our horn buttons, just like your car, switch the siren modes so we don't have to keep on hand on the siren control.

A little different than ours. Ours horn would activate whatever the currently active siren was, so it was nice for quick chirping or to modify the siren as we alerted near intersections.

 

[Lifted]

The real bright ones are the ones who are blocking the intersection and have a red light, the ambulance can't get by and they wait for it to turn green before going - it's not like they will ticket you for letting them through if it's safe to go through.

Yes, they will. At least in NYC.

Regrdless of where you are, who do you think will be to blame if you cause an accident running a red light? You.

 

[911paramedic]

A little different than ours. Ours horn would activate whatever the currently active siren was, so it was nice for quick chirping or to modify the siren as we alerted near intersections.

Ours too, the horn would switch the siren. We had a button on the floor for the air horn, it was like the older car high-beam switch.

 

[TheVrolok]

Ours too, the horn would switch the siren. We had a button on the floor for the air horn, it was like the older car high-beam switch.

We had a truck that had the same type of switch for the air horn. Nice feature.

 

[FirNaTine]

We had a truck that had the same type of switch for the air horn. Nice feature.

Spent the most of the last 6 years driving fire engines all day(24hrs), every 3rd or 4th day. Had two buttons on the floor by my left foot. Further one to the side was the air horn, and the inner one cycled the siren. So I could blow the air horns and/or hit the siren with both hands on the wheel.

And yes I used my signals all the time. Partly to signal to other emergency vehicles my intent. We often would run an engine with a medic on calls, as well the County Police run cardiac related runs with AEDs, as well as MVCs, OD's, assaults, etc. Signalling my path to the other emergency vehicles that may be coming with me, or running another call down the road was one way of trying to avoid an accident. If they are behind me and think I am going the same place they are, and suddenly I turn that could be bad.......

 

[911paramedic]

Our supervisors used to get pissed when we cycled the normal siren with the European version, lol. We were only allowed to use the normal siren and the rapid siren, but sometimes that European one just found its way into the mix. Worked well in Vegas due to the amount of Europeans on the road, the wrong side of it. (j/k, I was the one on the wrong side most of the time.)

 

[Kaervak]

Our supervisors used to get pissed when we cycled the normal siren with the European version, lol. We were only allowed to use the normal siren and the rapid siren, but sometimes that European one just found its way into the mix. Worked well in Vegas due to the amount of Europeans on the road, the wrong side of it. (j/k, I was the one on the wrong side most of the time.)

LOL. Our CO has actually said we're not permitted to use the European style siren in Jewish areas around here. We recently had one of our squads fully rebuilt. I asked if we could have a Ghostbusters siren in it. Didn't listen to me unfortunately.