We’re road safety experts – how drivers could be able to run red lights under new campaign
Baffling road rules that punish drivers for allowing ambulances to pass could be scrapped if a new proposal allowing motorists to move out of their way is rolled out.
A new campaign has been launched to stop motorists receiving fines of up to £1000 for letting emergency vehicles through by driving past a red light.
Currently the law requires motorists to stay put behind the red light, causing a dangerous increase in ambulance, police and fire service delays.
Most drivers’ instinct when they see blue lights and hear sirens is to move out of the way, but this could land them huge fines and penalty points if they break traffic laws while pulling over.
Motoring safety experts at Snooper have launched a campaign to stop the extortionate fines that drivers receive for moving out of the way of ambulances trying to get to Brits facing life-threatening emergencies.
Although Rule 219 of the Highway Code says motorists should take the appropriate action to let an emergency vehicle pass, failure to obey road laws will lead to punishment.
Moving through a red light, into a bus lane or pulling into a yellow box junction to let an ambulance through could lead to an eye-watering £1000 fine.
If moving out of the way of an ambulance causes drivers to make an illegal turn, drive down a one-way street, mount a kerb or break harshly, they can also be slapped with a hefty fine.
The campaign to scrap these harsh penalties comes as recent NHS ambulance stats showed catastrophic delays for emergency vehicles getting to patients on the brink of death.
Shockingly, a freedom of information act to ambulance trusts in England suggested that an average of 120 people died per day before an ambulance managed to reach them in 2022.
Gary Digva, of Snooper, said: “People are struggling enough with the cost-of-living crisis, and they should not be punished for making a ‘mistake’ while moving out of the way for an emergency vehicle.
“If it is safe to move to make room for ambulances rushing to save lives, there should be an exception.
“Our campaign would mean harsh penalties for drivers who break road rules while moving out the way for ambulances, if it is safe to do so, would be removed.
“In an emergency, every second counts, but these huge fines stop motorists from wanting to move out of the way, causing delays to an already over-stretched ambulance service.
“As long as drivers don’t panic and check they are not coming into conflict with other road users or endangering anyone else by moving out of the way, people should be free to move without penalties.”