If ambulances were able and allowed to push other vehicles out of the way, then there would be a chance that Americans would leave a corridor in traffic jams to keep from getting shoved aside.
Definitely.
Now that I think about it, a separate vehicle to do the shoving would save the patient from getting bumped around.
But then, there would need to be more ambulances following along to pick up people who get injured because all the imaginary cars getting shoved out of the way are occupied.
People get out of the way for emergency vehicles where I’m from. I’ve seen what you’re describing in NYC and I don’t really like being grouped with them.
The ambulance apparently chose not to pass on the right in the lanes that were moving because of policy or something like that. I know where I live stopping where you are at is what you are supposed to do, so this one really seem slide it might be misleading anti self driving sensationalism.
It still has a long way to go, but stopping for emergency vehicles really sounds like it was working as designed to follow the laws.
Passing on the right drastically increases the likelihood of accidents for almost everyone involved. The (effective) blind spot on the left side of a vehicle versus the right side is tiny.
And while I won’t rule out different regions having different laws: To my knowledge, basically every single variation is “Pull off to the right side of the road unless the ambulance is right behind you and trying to turn right”. Just stopping where you are is a good way to force the emergency vehicle to slalom through traffic and increases the likelihood of degraded care (or even injury) in the back.
Which adds on to why an ambulance should generally not try to pass on the right. If a vehicle is stopped right in front of you, something is wrong. That means they are likely to open a door, suddenly accelerate and try to move over, etc. Its a decision, but it is one that adds delays. And even a slight delay can be fatal if you are at the point where you actually need an ambulance.
Don’t they also send a signal of some kind, like a strobe at a particular frequency among their lights, that can be detected by (some) traffic lights to override them and turn them green? Maybe driverless cars should be able to percieve and react to this?
A human increases the odds of an accident drastically. Especially when they suddenly “come out of nowhere” while someone passing legally is trying to shift back right.
In this case? Someone is already clearly ignoring the rules of the road (if not the law). There is no guarantee they don’t end up sideswiping the ambulance, opening their door randomly, etc. Which results in more injuries… likely including the paramedics themselves.
Be interesting to see exactly what the traffic patterns looked like. There’s the set of driving regulations that generally say we should make way for emergency vehicles, but not if it requires ignoring another regulation. For example, if you’re stopped at a red light and an emergency vehicle approaches from behind, law says you wait for the light to turn green, then proceed when safe. Real drivers will run that light, hop a curb, make an illegal u-turn, etc. to make space, and nobodies going to get ticket for that, but it they are technically still violations.
I also think the comparison shouldn’t necessarily be against a typical driver, but a novice one, who doesn’t always respond correctly to an uncommon situation.
“Well, another lanes was moving so it could have gone around, also, if the patient had just taken an med flight helicopter this wouldn’t have happened.”
Like so what another lane is moving. Would the ambo have to back up and do a K turn to get around the glitched car?
Though it should be noted the root cause of the issue is car first infrastructure which likely contributed to the accident to begin with.
If all the money and effort being put into autonomous cars was put into mass transit and better infrastructure design it seems there would be less to worry about when it comes to all these oddities and edge cases of autonomous cars. In some cases edge cases are worth figuring out, but probably not here.
This topic has come up at work several times. What’s funny is each time it does everyone gets excited about the possibility of it happening to them on a critical call.
Our ambulances are built on 4x4 capable F-350 chassis and we’re all union firefighters/medics. It feels like the 21st century version of “car blocking a hydrant”.
Probably should put some push bars on those ambulances and give them permission to get things out of the way.
Though it should be noted the root cause of the issue is car first infrastructure which likely contributed to the accident to begin with.
If ambulances were able and allowed to push other vehicles out of the way, then there would be a chance that Americans would leave a corridor in traffic jams to keep from getting shoved aside.
Win win.
Definitely. Now that I think about it, a separate vehicle to do the shoving would save the patient from getting bumped around.
But then, there would need to be more ambulances following along to pick up people who get injured because all the imaginary cars getting shoved out of the way are occupied.
Fuck 'em. Let them die, and then we have less cars on the roads /j
People get out of the way for emergency vehicles where I’m from. I’ve seen what you’re describing in NYC and I don’t really like being grouped with them.
The ambulance apparently chose not to pass on the right in the lanes that were moving because of policy or something like that. I know where I live stopping where you are at is what you are supposed to do, so this one really seem slide it might be misleading anti self driving sensationalism.
It still has a long way to go, but stopping for emergency vehicles really sounds like it was working as designed to follow the laws.
Passing on the right drastically increases the likelihood of accidents for almost everyone involved. The (effective) blind spot on the left side of a vehicle versus the right side is tiny.
And while I won’t rule out different regions having different laws: To my knowledge, basically every single variation is “Pull off to the right side of the road unless the ambulance is right behind you and trying to turn right”. Just stopping where you are is a good way to force the emergency vehicle to slalom through traffic and increases the likelihood of degraded care (or even injury) in the back.
Which adds on to why an ambulance should generally not try to pass on the right. If a vehicle is stopped right in front of you, something is wrong. That means they are likely to open a door, suddenly accelerate and try to move over, etc. Its a decision, but it is one that adds delays. And even a slight delay can be fatal if you are at the point where you actually need an ambulance.
Too bad ambulances don’t have a massive wall of flashing lights or something that would make them noticeable.
Better on left doesn’t mean never on right. What about when a human does the same thing?
Don’t they also send a signal of some kind, like a strobe at a particular frequency among their lights, that can be detected by (some) traffic lights to override them and turn them green? Maybe driverless cars should be able to percieve and react to this?
at lest here they have a button in the ambulance to turn lights green
A human increases the odds of an accident drastically. Especially when they suddenly “come out of nowhere” while someone passing legally is trying to shift back right.
In this case? Someone is already clearly ignoring the rules of the road (if not the law). There is no guarantee they don’t end up sideswiping the ambulance, opening their door randomly, etc. Which results in more injuries… likely including the paramedics themselves.
Be interesting to see exactly what the traffic patterns looked like. There’s the set of driving regulations that generally say we should make way for emergency vehicles, but not if it requires ignoring another regulation. For example, if you’re stopped at a red light and an emergency vehicle approaches from behind, law says you wait for the light to turn green, then proceed when safe. Real drivers will run that light, hop a curb, make an illegal u-turn, etc. to make space, and nobodies going to get ticket for that, but it they are technically still violations.
I also think the comparison shouldn’t necessarily be against a typical driver, but a novice one, who doesn’t always respond correctly to an uncommon situation.
I noted that too. Sounds like corporate bullshit.
“Well, another lanes was moving so it could have gone around, also, if the patient had just taken an med flight helicopter this wouldn’t have happened.”
Like so what another lane is moving. Would the ambo have to back up and do a K turn to get around the glitched car?
If all the money and effort being put into autonomous cars was put into mass transit and better infrastructure design it seems there would be less to worry about when it comes to all these oddities and edge cases of autonomous cars. In some cases edge cases are worth figuring out, but probably not here.
This topic has come up at work several times. What’s funny is each time it does everyone gets excited about the possibility of it happening to them on a critical call.
Our ambulances are built on 4x4 capable F-350 chassis and we’re all union firefighters/medics. It feels like the 21st century version of “car blocking a hydrant”.
DAE fuCK cARS?!?!