# Ambulance Drivers Need for Speed



## MMiz (Aug 10, 2004)

*Ambulance Drivers Need for Speed *

New studies show that emergency workers trying to save time on the road may not be saving lives.  There are more accidents and injuries involving emergency vehicles each year.  At least ten people are injured everyday and two people are killed each month. 

[Read More!]


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## rescuecpt (Aug 10, 2004)

I was going Code 3 the other day with a woman in failure (heart, lungs, you name it).  I told the driver to "step on it" at one point because I thought I could feel we weren't going that fast.  Later he told me he was doing 60 and moved up to 70, but wouldnt go any faster than that.  We got the patient in alive, but it felt like it took an eternity.  You can ask the probie that was with me, I wasn't panicking and I was actually quite calm, but to me, it felt like an eternity back there.

We need teleporters so we can just zip through space with the patient.


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## ffemt8978 (Aug 10, 2004)

I think this ties in nicely with the previous thread here about the couple rushing to hospital to have baby get ticket.

I would like to state that I believe the majority of accidents involving emergency vehicles are a result of OTHER DRIVERS FAILING TO YIELD THE RIGHT OF WAY to the emergency vehicle.  Most ambulance drivers do not want to have or cause an accident (primarily because of the paperwork involved   ), but unfortunately, they are blamed if they get into an accident because someone else failed to yield the right of way.

I think the laws should be changed so that in an accident involving an emergency vehicle using appropriate warning devices (lights, sirens), it would have to be proved that the driver of the emergency vehicle was GROSSLY NEGLIGENT in causing the accident.  Otherwise, it should be the fault of the people that don't stop for the flashing lights and sirens.

The state of South Dakota instituted a program a few years ago that I think is fairly good.  First of all, EVERYONE is required to sign a form when the renew their driver's license stating that they understand they must yield to ALL emergency vehicles using warning devices, and that failure to do so may result in them receiving a citation.  The second half of this is that any law enforcement agency in the state will issue a citation to anyone that you say failed to yield to your emergency vehicle, as long as you fill out a statement about it.

As long as we continue to treat the failure to yield to an emergency vehicle as no big deal, we will continue to have serious accidents.  Make failure to yield a big deal, and people will pay a lot more attention to their driving.

Thus endeth the rant.


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## croaker260 (Aug 10, 2004)

I always tell my new people...."the faster you go, the less I can get done in back. 30 seconds (savings in transport time) isnt going to save their life...but the 5 minutes delay in getting the IV or difficulty in identifying the EKG amid all the bumps and artifact...may cost them a life"

Just my personal thought.


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