Idiots on the road

[akflightmedic]

Now I will explore the other side of the fence, please bare with me as I am a CEVO instructor and have been for many years.

Please take all I say into consideration and dont get angry.

YOU were at fault as much as the tailgater was.

1. When you have a tailgater, you let off the gas and allow them to pass. You NEVER tap your brakes..period.

2. If they can not pass due to road circumstances, you find a way to pull over and let them pass if they continue to tailgate after letting off the gas.

3. As a driver, you never get on the cell phone. That is what your partner is for.( I reread and saw that you were handing it to yor partner..good job)

4. You had already resigned yourself mentally to the fact that one of the "dummy drivers" was going to hit you that day.

If you think like this, it is sure to happen.

5. YOU were obivously following too close as well if you had to make such a sudden stop to avoid hitting a dummy driver in front of you.

All of the things I mentioned are covered in any EVOC/CEVO or defensive driving course for emergency vehicle operators. Because this is standard knowledge and practice for anyone driving an emergency vehicle, a good lawyer would have no problem shredding you on the stand and making you liable should the other person decide to sue. Chances are, if they do sue, your service would just settle out of court instead on going through the expensive motions of a trial.

Now I realize no one is a perfect driver, but this crash could have been avoided very simply. There are no accidents, as with any crash there was some preventable step to avoid this. A lot of times it is hard for us to do this cause it means we have to concede and give up personal space or time but if that is what it takes to keep us all safe then that is what we must do.

Safe driving involves an entirely new mindset, one that is very difficult to implement but it should be done.

[windsong]

I've had a car back into the side of my ambulance at a SNF before. Hit the left rear wheel area. No damage to either cars, but how can you miss seeing the side of a type 3?

It's easy nobody looks behind, always to the right or left yet they dont look period.

I called Calgary EMS 4 months ago when one of their medics nearly took me off the road, no sirens just lights. I looked into my rearview mirror and they werent there, but, in a matter of minutes they came out of no where.

The new medic that was driving, also got into trouble when he was leaving the ambulance bay at the PLC (hospital), he apparently ran over this lady's suitcase that was sitting on the curb.

The nice lady at EMS HQ asked me if I was the lady that had called and left a message(something to do about the suitcase in question and I said no, why did this same new medic we are talking about the same one that cut me off, she said oh boy, then she put me on hold and I spoke to a supervisor.

I was told he was a new medic, who started working yesterday, which was June 15. I was told he's a really good medic but his driving sucked bigtime. They said this new medic was to send me a letter of apology but I havent seen it yet.

[JPINFV]

It's easy nobody looks behind, always to the right or left yet they dont look period.

Well, people are stupid then because you're supposed to look behind you when you're going in reverse. Yes, check the sides like you normally would, but you should be turned in your seat looking back.

[MeekoBB]

Sounds very much like Bloomfield Ave in Newark to Montclair area

[CrazyNCute02]

Sounds very much like Bloomfield Ave in Newark to Montclair area

Oh gosh........yes it does, but this was actually Fairview Ave in Fairview. If u know the road, u know how awful it is. No shoulder, 2 lanes, huge hill, winding, busy as ANYTHING!! When we stopped after the accident, you should've seen the backup caused (especially cuz of rubberneckers).

However....Bloomfield Ave is where I got in my 1st accident with my personal vehicle. Bloomfield Ave in Bloomfield, rite by the intersection with State St. Guy opened his door as we were coming from the light that just turned green. No time to stop, cars next to me, so I couldn't get outta the way. He took off my side view mirror, I think he had a dent in his company vehicle? ::shakes head::

[VillageEMT]

1. When you have a tailgater, you let off the gas and allow them to pass. You NEVER tap your brakes..period.

I completely agree with the "never tap your brakes," but I have had many, many tailgaters who will not pass me no matter how slow I go.

2. If they can not pass due to road circumstances, you find a way to pull over and let them pass if they continue to tailgate after letting off the gas.

Around here that can be impossible, two lane roads with ditches on both sides mile after mile.

3. As a driver, you never get on the cell phone. That is what your partner is for.( I reread and saw that you were handing it to yor partner..good job)

NYS law forbids the use of a handheld phone while driving, EXCEPT for emergency vehicle operators. Also, what if your alone up front and your partner is busy in the back?

4. You had already resigned yourself mentally to the fact that one of the "dummy drivers" was going to hit you that day. If you think like this, it is sure to happen.

My first driving instructor taught me to consider the other vehicles as moving obstructions that I had to avoid, not thinking drivers, however stupid. The idea works for me.

5. YOU were obivously following too close as well if you had to make such a sudden stop to avoid hitting a dummy driver in front of you.

Maybe. A proper following distance is to allow you to brake or maneuver normally to avoid the vehicle in front of you. This distance cannot compensate for an idiot behind you. If they would hit you if you "tapped the brakes," (see #1 above) then they will hit you on a "normal" stop. When I see a pack of cars tailgating in front of me, I add up the following distance that all of them should have had and add that to my following distance. This pisses off some people behind me but it does create a workable buffer for me.

Note: NYS law makes the following vehicle driver responsible for any tailgating accident. The only exception is if the driver of the front vehicle is convicted of DWI or similar offense.

BTW, my first driving instructor was a former Chief Driving Instructor for The Sports Car Club of America. Ever done spin training in a Land Rover?

Ah, to be "young and foolish" again.

[buckeyedoc]

This is NEVER a good idea.

This person obviously had no insurance, or was such a terrible driver, 1 more ticket or at fault accident would be the financially disaterous. Having driving in NJ many times, I'm not surprised by her tailgating or her reaction. :wink:

I'll usually flash my rear loads if I have a tailgater. That gives them a good warning that we know they are following too closely.

[Michael]

my first driving instructor was a former Chief Driving Instructor for The Sports Car Club of America. Ever done spin training in a Land Rover?

So is it true that the best way to make a U-turn at 90 mph is to pull the handbrake?

[CrazyNCute02]

Now I will explore the other side of the fence, please bare with me as I am a CEVO instructor and have been for many years.

Please take all I say into consideration and dont get angry.

YOU were at fault as much as the tailgater was.

4. You had already resigned yourself mentally to the fact that one of the "dummy drivers" was going to hit you that day.

If you think like this, it is sure to happen.

5. YOU were obivously following too close as well if you had to make such a sudden stop to avoid hitting a dummy driver in front of you.

Don't worry. I'm not angry at all. By posting on here I know I'm up for criticism as much as anything else. Just wanna rebut a few things! As for #4, I get those lil intuition feelings sometimes when I know somethings gonna happen. That's wat I meant by that. I was actually driving extra careful cuz I didn't want it to happen! In my company, standing policy is if you get in an accident, your driving priviledges get revoked 'til the police report is picked up and the supervisor reviews it. Now, I don't like how my partner drives, so I did not want that to happen!!

For #5, I actually had a good stopping distance. I still had a good amount of room in front of me after I braked. The reason I called it sudden was cuz it was very surprising one. The person in front of me was tailgating the person in front of him (surprise surprise? :roll:) and I had to suddenly stop.

I always try to drive as safe as I can. It just sucks because people in this state are absolutely oblivious to everything around them. I swear, most of them find their driver's licenses in the bottom of a cereal box. ](*,)

And, akflightmedic, I totally understand why you would throw a devil's advocate to this posting. As I said before, I knew I would be up for criticism putting this up. Thanx for the pointers. :lol:/

[emtpsaveu911]

This Question is for akflightmedic.

Several people have posted they would (or to ) turn on the flood lights to deter a tailgater ( which i have to admit i have done :twisted: ).

If this causes an accident with the person behind you to run off the road because you just blinded them --or even if you didn't cause an accident, isn't it just illegal to use your side and rear flood lights while moving and not on an emergency?