Driving and nerves

[Sassafras]

Ok any tips welcome. I passed EVOC fine but some scenarios still freak me out and driving faster than the speed limit scares me. I'm lucky I work for an IFT. LOL. No life threatening speeding emergencies to deal with. Some of the hospital loading bays terrify me. Construction zones make me nauseous. But I think that's because a trucker veered into my lane in a construction zone and hit my rig. No damage and I handled it fine says my partner who was with me but the nerves are there none the less and I need to overcome them. Any suggestions to help with tight areas will be appreciated so I can improve myself as an emt.

 

[adamjh3]

I think driving is the most stressful part of an IFT job, because you have to be so careful as the ride in the back is going to invariably be uncomfortable.

With that said, just be confident. Know your personal limits and know the rig's limits. Don't do anything that you don't feel safe doing, but at the same time, constantly work to improve on your driving. The skill will come with time. Sometimes a lot of time if you've been driving a compact your entire life like me.

There's one girl I work with who uses caution when driving to the point that it's unsafe. Don't be that girl.

 

[TransportJockey]

I can kinda sympathize with you. At my service we use medium duty rigs and I just hate driving them. I much prefer out Type II that we use for transports to the city. But it all comes down to getting as much practice driving your agencies rigs as possible. Thinks will slowly get better

 

[Shishkabob]

I can kinda sympathize with you. At my service we use medium duty rigs and I just hate driving them. I much prefer out Type II that we use for transports to the city. But it all comes down to getting as much practice driving your agencies rigs as possible. Thinks will slowly get better

Medium duty trucks are fun!



Really, the only thing you can do is drive. The more you drive, the more comfortable you'll get with it. Soon enough, you'll be comfortable to the point that it will be like your personal car.


Remember how scared you were with your drivers permit? Are you the same now, years later with a license?

 

[Fbarba123]

Checking your mirrors helps alot, especially in tight areas. Just imagine the ambulance floating through the narrow lane, you can do it.

We have someone who works with us, who always freaks out on side streets because they are very narrow, but she easily has a yard of space around her on each side. Still be very cautious, there is nothing wrong with asking a partner to spot you in tight spots.

 

[Sassafras]

Our mirrors have an angle to them that give a strange perspective making backing up difficult. I'm a cautious driver anyway since an accident a few years back when my baby was with me so being responsible for patients...eeeesh. I did just handle an empty ER dock beautifully though lol. Partners turn to drive now.

 

[CodyHolt83]

I asked one of the firefighter/paramedics that I dispatch about this during rotations...he told me the only way to get over that is becoming a paramedic. lol

 

[TransportJockey]

I asked one of the firefighter/paramedics that I dispatch about this during rotations...he told me the only way to get over that is becoming a paramedic. lol

Screw that, medics still better be able to drive the bus

 

[CodyHolt83]

He is an old, crotchety medic. Apparently he has been a medic since 1703.

 

[Tommerag]

He is an old, crotchety medic. Apparently he has been a medic since 1703.

Lol.....now add driving any kind of emergency vehicle in a blizzard. Oh the joys of a south Dakota winter haha

 

[katgrl2003]

Lol.....now add driving any kind of emergency vehicle in a blizzard. Oh the joys of a south Dakota winter haha

Uh, you aren't kidding. I'm driving again after a 6 month break... nothing bad, just my partner was a driver only, not a tech. Today is my first day of driving after EVOC, and I'm sooo glad most of the snow has melted.

 

[JJR512]

The best advice I can give you re: hospital loading bays is to look at where you want to go before you try to go there. Don't just swing past where you're supposed to park and get your first look at the area in your rear-view mirror. When you approach the area, take a good look at it, see if there are any obstacles, where the curbs are, and so on. Make a plan for what you need to do; picture in your mind where and how you're going to need to maneuver the vehicle to get it where it's supposed to go, and try to see that path as a diagram on the ground. Is the path clear? Any potential hazards?

See it, plan it, execute it.

 

[JPINFV]

I've driven type 2s (vanbulances) and type 3s (van front, box back), and here's my line of tips.

A lot of ambulance driving is the same or similar to regular driving practices.

Take turns slowly, especially in the top heavy, narrow base type IIs . Until you get used to it, if you think you're going a good speed, you're probably going too fast.

When stopping, when you're almost stopped, let up slightly on the break. This will allow you to expend the rest of your energy going a few inches forward instead of going forward onto the springs, and then rocking backward.

Remember, you can't hit anyone if you're stopped. If you're in any situation where you can't accurately predict what the other cars are going to do (like a Mexican standoff), just stop. Either they're going to go or they're going to signal you to go. Not being in an accident at all is better than being not at fault in an accident.

For type 3s, your mirrors protrude past the box, so if the mirrors make it, your box will make it.

The ambulance will fit into a parking space. If you know your parking space is clear, line up the left tire just inside of the left parking space line and use the line to guide your backing. You still need to watch the back to know when you need to stop, but as long as your tire is lined up, you're inside the parking space.

If you're on the freeway and going freeway speeds, remember a buffer space. I'd argue 4-5 seconds is good. Also, use seconds, the nice thing about seconds is the faster you go, the larger the gap.

More for type 2s again, be slow on the accelerator and slow on the brake to avoid hard stops and hard starts. There's nothing wrong with starting a slow break a little early or being slow off of a green light or stop sign.

For emergency driving:

There are prizes for second place, however there are no good prizes for being in an accident. If what ever you're going to do has any decent risk of causing an accident, you probably shouldn't do it.

In urban and suburban environments, the siren is essentially only good for cars on the road you're on. Cars coming off of side streets? They probably haven't heard you well enough to know you're on the street they're turning onto or crossing. Never assume that just because the siren is on and loud to you that others have heard it.

Again, if you need to, stop and let tricky traffic situations work themselves out.

Do. Not. Tail. Gate. I don't care that the idiot in the car in front of you isn't yielding as fast as you'd like them to. If you tail gate, the only warning lights visible are the headlight flashers (wig-wags) if equipped and the grill lights. To be honest, the grill lights aren't always that visible, especially during the day.

If you're coming up on a red light, look to the left. If the opposite lane of traffic is empty, go into that lane. Going down an empty lane opposite of traffic where the closest traffic is stopped at a red light with an unopposed view of an emergency vehicle with lights on going the wrong way is INFINITY more safe than trying to force cars into an intersection against a red light.

Standard suggestion: Make all turns from the left lane. Turning right? Try to do it from the left lane. Turning left? Do it from the left lane, you're more visible there.

Try to pass on the left, but sometimes you have to pass on the right. It happens, get over it.

Finally, one of the golden rules of life. Just because you can doesn't mean you should. We should never be a greater threat to our patients than their disease, and any accident is a greater threat. While we may not always be at fault, often times we can contribute to an accident not happening by good defensive driving techniques, even if it means giving up a right of way that is rightfully ours. There's no prizes for an accident and no prizes for forcing someone to submit to your lights and sirens. If it's unsafe, simply don't do it.

 

[JJR512]

Remember, no one can hit you if you're stopped.

My mother-in-law and her totaled Camaro would disagree with you. She was not just stopped, she was stopped in a parking space when someone plowed into her car, with her still in it.

 

[JPINFV]

Yea... I read over it because I'm throwing this onto my blog and edited it to, "You can't hit anyone if you're stopped."

 

[Tommerag]

Even if your stopped with lights and sirens doesn't mean you immune there are some people that don't pay attention period. They're on their phone, music blaring, etc. There is always that 1 person and that's all it takes.

 

[JPINFV]

Even if your stopped with lights and sirens doesn't mean you immune there are some people that don't pay attention period. They're on their phone, music blaring, etc. There is always that 1 person and that's all it takes.

True, but I'd rather be in an accident where I'm stopped and rear ended by someone than one where I drove into another vehicle or drove into their line of travel. I'd like to hear one stand-offish scenario where it's better to assume that the right of way has been yielded, lights and sirens or not and regardless of who has the legal right of way, instead of stopping until the ambiguity of who's going to move first is cleared. The law doesn't stop someone from making bad choices. Painted lines don't stop cars and I'd rather be 15 seconds later than in an accident.

 

[Tommerag]

I completely agree does your patient no good if you hit someone.

 

[Sassafras]

JPINVF, I'm going to print this out. I "know" some of it. But rereading it may help me out a lot. I get laughed at because I am a stickler for the 4-5 second rule and if the warning sign says to take the curve at 30 mph, I'm taking it at 30 mph and not a mile faster. They won't let me drive long distance transports yet because they say I'm too slow LOL. But I am driving the speed limit. I just can't justify speeding for a stable interfacility transport. It seems to produce more risk to the patient than necessary.

 

[EMS49393]

Go to paramedic school, apply to a service that requires paramedics to tech every call. That's what I did. But seriously...

I hate driving as well. You do not have to exceed the speed limit if you are uncomfortable and anyone that tells you that you have to is a moron. Pay extra attention and stay alert. Be conscientious of things around you, walls, bays, ceiling levels. If it takes you a few seconds longer to safely park the truck, so be it. Most emergency departments have gone away from having a super difficult area to park in if you are coming in with a true emergency.

I've followed all my own tips, and I do not let people intimidate me into driving in a manner I feel is not safe. You are not saving any remarkable time by speeding anyway, and you really will not save any time if you crash. Considering I have the worst depth perception in the world, and I have an incredibly difficult time seeing distances and at night, I'm 15 years driving ambulances with no crashes.