# Road speed on new ambulance



## Captain 24 (Jun 17, 2009)

Our service recently puchased a Dodge 4500 type1 4x4 the truck is a pretty good truck but the biggest complant is that the road speed is set at about 78 mph.  The bad side to that is that we work a lot on the interstate and at that speed we almot get run over.  So the question is does any one know how to adjust the speed?


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## MRE (Jun 17, 2009)

Captain 24 said:


> Our service recently puchased a Dodge 4500 type1 4x4 the truck is a pretty good truck but the biggest complant is that the road speed is set at about 78 mph.  The bad side to that is that we work a lot on the interstate and at that speed we almot get run over.  So the question is does any one know how to adjust the speed?



Jack it up and put huge tires on it.


Seriously, you would have to re-program the computer.  Better not try anything yourself though.  Have your service contact a Dodge dealership and see if they will do it for you.

Do you really want this very large and heavy vehicle going 80+MPH?  Somebody obviously thought 78MPH was fast enough for the size and weight.


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## medic417 (Jun 17, 2009)

Number 1 that is plenty fast for a top heavy ambulance.   Second it would void warranty to adjust governor.


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## DV_EMT (Jun 17, 2009)

lol....

aerodynamics on those are horrible. Those are the sprinter ambulances correct? really really top heavy? I think max should be 90. thats fast enough but not too fast. NOTE: thats if we're talking bout a highway/interstate that usually has fast traveling vehicles (i know in CA the I-5... people usually run 80-85mph w/o traffic).


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## Captain 24 (Jun 17, 2009)

No that's not the spinter what it is the dodge version of the 450 modles and on its size it only is a 96 box.  Its only 4 inches wider than the standered type 1.  Also the dodge dealer won't touch it. Was just wondering if anyone else is running one.


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## medic417 (Jun 17, 2009)

Captain 24 said:


> Also the dodge dealer won't touch it.



And no else with a brain will either as they would assume liability for any wreck determined to have speed as a factor.


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## Captain 24 (Jun 17, 2009)

When i say the Dodge dealer wont touch i mean they wont service it or work on an  componet on it.  I also found the reson for the speed restriction its a saftey that the fed gov put on these trucks running the 19.5 tire so that includes the Dodge, Ford, & Chevy


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## marineman (Jun 18, 2009)

If it's a federal restriction it sounds like it would be a federal offense to attempt to adjust it. No we don't run them however I can't say that I've ever traveled or wanted to travel faster than 78 in the first place.


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## JPINFV (Jun 18, 2009)

It's not a federal issue. I've been well passed 78 in an ambulance.


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## rmellish (Jun 18, 2009)

It's probably the governor. I think our chevy type IIIs are governed in the mid 80s, and they're pretty massive. I would assume the vehicle is capable of moving faster, but honestly, do you really need to?


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## MRE (Jun 18, 2009)

rmellish said:


> It's probably the governor. I think our chevy type IIIs are governed in the mid 80s, and they're pretty massive. I would assume the vehicle is capable of moving faster, but honestly, do you really need to?



As is usually the case, its not the going that is the problem, its the stopping and the turning that gets you into trouble.


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## Captain 24 (Jun 18, 2009)

To answer to some about is that not fast enough well yes if your the boss, but to the guy in the field no since the interstate speed is 75mph.  I also found that the Dodge is set at 78, Ford F450 is at 80, and the Chevy 4500 is at 82.


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## TotowaEMT (Jun 22, 2009)

Captain 24 said:


> To answer to some about is that not fast enough well yes if your the boss, but to the guy in the field no since the interstate speed is 75mph.  I also found that the Dodge is set at 78, Ford F450 is at 80, and the Chevy 4500 is at 82.



Give one good reason why you need to exceed the speed limit in the first place.


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## Captain 24 (Jun 22, 2009)

I thought that there where some people that ran emergent calls that showed a need for  a quick responce or transport.  We are located 50 miles to the closest facility and helicopters arnt always around is was just wondering if anyone has a truck like this and was looking for a fix.  But I guess most pepole just do nonemergent transports.


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## TotowaEMT (Jun 22, 2009)

ok 50 miles

75mph=40 mins
80mph=37.5 mins
85mph=35 mins


So by exceeding the speed limit by 10mph, you gain only 5 mins over the entire trip.  not worth the risk IMO.  That truck has a 16,500 lb GVWR.  Between 75mph and 85mph, you increase your stopping distance by almost 100ft (average calculation).  Emergent transport or not, never a good reason to exceed the speed limit.


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## Captain 24 (Jun 23, 2009)

Yes we all no the stats, we know the danger, but there is no difference in danger weither your speeding our crossing a intersection when the light is red.  I was just trying to see if any service has this truck i know there is a lot of these out there.  I was just at the AEV plant to look at our newest one being built, so someone is going to be surprised.


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## VentMedic (Jun 23, 2009)

Captain 24 said:


> I thought that there where some people that ran emergent calls that showed a need for a quick responce or transport. We are located 50 miles to the closest facility and helicopters arnt always around is was just wondering if anyone has a truck like this and was looking for a fix. But I guess most pepole just do nonemergent transports.


 
It will depend highly on the education and confidence level of the provider in the back. If the provider is a danger to the patient then you as the driver might want to drive faster than the speed of light. So, are your EMT(P)s grossly incompetent? Are you providing only BLS service? Are you ALS that can only function like BLS? 

If you have limited protocols and are clueless about how to stabilize a patient then you might want to work on the education rather than the speed of the truck.

If you are traveling at a high rate of speed, there will be no working on that patient for whatever length of time you are moving. Only a fool would not have themselves seat belted securely at that rate of speed in a big truck. Thus, driving at a high rate of speed will be very detrimental to the patient. 

And, if you crash, nobody benefits.



> To answer to some about is that not fast enough well yes if your the boss, but to the guy in the field no since the interstate speed is 75mph.


If your boss wanted the truck to go faster, he/she probably could have ordered it without the governor. Fuel economy might also be on his/her mind since if they can some will continuously exceed speed recommendations regardless of the call.   Do you plan on tampering with this truck without informing the administrators of your company?

You screw with that truck against the advice of the warranty or manufacturers recommendations, you may be screwing with the liability and livelihood of your company as well as its employees.    

Slow down, get a proper education for providing good patient care and get everyone safely to the hospital.


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## Captain 24 (Jun 23, 2009)

First of all dont start by degradding any of they staff that might work here. that said.  You really need to do aliitle more reaserch on trucks. When that truck was speced at the time no one new that truck had a govener set at that level. when the dealer delveried it, it was the first time they had drove a 09.  Only in 09 did this happened the only reason any of these truck are set like that is a fed standered stating the 19.5 tire is load rated not speed rated.  Also you are talking to some of the adminatration the other reason we are looking to change the govener is that the truck stays at red line all the time and it kicks out of overdrive.  The Dodge dealer did not now this either untill this truck arrived.


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## VentMedic (Jun 23, 2009)

Captain 24 said:


> First of all dont start by degradding any of they staff that might work here. that said.


 
I am not the one degrading your staff, you are. 

So far you have done nothing but ramble on about wanting to go real fast but have not given one good reason for doing so. Thus, one can only take your avoidance of patient care issues as not being able to provide an appropriate level of care. I usually hear comments like yours from strictly BLS crews who have little other choice but to drive real fast to the hospital or some departments that have relied too much on medic mill training and not education.

Safety first and not your ego to have a real fast truck to brag about.


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## Captain 24 (Jun 23, 2009)

First of all I see you only read what you want and don't read the whole message.  I explaned the main reason I asked for the speed change and do not talk about my staff ever we all perform to the state standered just like eveyone else does in the  state or country they practice in. Its not the speed I'm 
Worried about it was if any on else had the same truck.


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## VentMedic (Jun 23, 2009)

What level of care are you providing? 

Why do you need to go faster than 78? 

You also tried to insult the members of this forum with this remark.


> But I guess most pepole just do nonemergent transports.


 
You've been given good advice from several members as well as statistics. Take the information however you want. I just hope you can understand the safety concerns expressed by experienced EMS providers. 

Mechanical issues such as the problems described should be addressed with the dealer before you take it upon yourself to make changes. 



> Also you are talking to some of the adminatration the other reason we are looking to change the govener


Spell check is also a great feature on this forum. If you are part of the administration of your company as you say you are, you should know how important it is to express yourself correctly and that goes for written words also.


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## Captain 24 (Jun 23, 2009)

Well here we are again angry with each other so I will put it simply if I offended any one I am sorry I don't wish to do that and it was bad judgement on my part.  We all run our service different and if you all don't approve that's fine we don't all have to agree.  The spell check thing I didn't see the option I'm using a Blackberry I will have to look onthe computer later.  Th subject of me personaly alter the vehical no we won't do that and as I said the main reason for posting is because our locall dealer does not know the answer to our questions. Sorry about the splling big hands little keys LOL !


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## VentMedic (Jun 23, 2009)

I just sent you a PM (personal message) with some info.


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