ambulance speed?

paramedic911

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hi every one
i just wanna know how much allow speed for ambulance on duty in yours state . i live outside USA so i ask this.
thank u everybody
 

d0nk3yk0n9

Forum Crew Member
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Driving normally: whatever the speed limit says, or as fast as is safe, whichever is slower.

Driving lights & sirens: up to 15 mph over the speed limit, or as fast as is still safe, whichever is slower.
 

phideux

Forum Captain
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Responding in Rural areas 10mph over the posted limit, as long as it is safe. Complete stop at every light and/or stop sign.
 

EMTHokie

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No more than 15mph over posted limits with Lights and sirens, stop at all lights and stop signs and use due caution.
 

MSDeltaFlt

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My company has limits. I believe 80mph is the Max even on interstate. My state, however, requires EMS to drive with "due regard". Technically we don't have a set speed limit.

Personally the posted speed limit even with lights and sirens is plenty fast enough.
 

mycrofft

Still crazy but elsewhere
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We have fifty states in many climate zones. Each state can pass its own laws. The rule which applies everywhere though is not to drive unsafely, and that includes speed.
BTW, we mostly use miles per hour (mph), to avoid more confusion
 

94H

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In Pennsylvania ambulances cannot exceed the posted speed limits, even with Lights and Sirens. They must also come to a complete stop at every stop sign and red light.
 

Nerd13

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The state of Michigan uses the 'drive with due regard to the safety of others' rule. My employer uses the 15 mph above posted speed rule. Of course, that's only when it's safe to do so. On some of the back roads you're doing really well if you can safely reach the posted speed...
 

Shishkabob

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Emergency vehicles are exempt from Texas vehicle code whilst doing official duties (more technically, when lights and sirens are active)


However, something goes wrong and you're in deep doo-doo if it's found out you weren't following 'due regard'.
 
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Medic Tim

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In NB we cannot exceed the speed limit in areas Posted 60km/h (aprox 40mph) or lower. We are allowed up to 20km/h (aprox 15 mph) over the posted limit in areas over 60 to a max of 120km/h (75mph). The speed limit on the divided highways here is 110km/h(aprox 70mph) so going hot is pretty much useless on the highway as the flow of traffic is usually much faster than 120.

that is the provincial ambulance policy.

Legally we are exempt from motor vehicle laws as long as we drive with due regard and have the lights on. We need the siren at intersections, passing a car and passing a person.
 

DrankTheKoolaid

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Here in California, law allows 15mph over posted speed limit while exercising due regard for others. Company policy just changed to a max of 10mph over posted limits, which was a good thing.
 

Bullets

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In the peoples republic of New Jersey only police officers using L&S are allowed to exceed the speed limit or disregard traffic laws.

Fire, EMS, Hazmat but obey all traffic laws even running emergent, and must stop at all red lights before proceeding
 

Cup of Joe

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It's "due regard" here in NY. Our agency has no max speed, but we do have our own intensive EVOC course and policies in place should you get in an accident in any agency vehicle.
 

Handsome Robb

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"Due regard" in Nevada as well.

Company policy recommends no more than 10-15 mph over the posted speed but that isn't a hard and fast rule, just a general idea to base operations off of.

NV says only lights need to be activated and use the siren "when necessary" but company policy says either all or nothing, although we can run with just lights in or near neighborhoods after 10 pm.
 

Tigger

Dodges Pucks
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Massachusetts has "due regard" on the books, and that's all that company policy references beyond coming to a come to stop at red lights and stops signs. No max speed limit sadly.
 

Anjel

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The state of Michigan uses the 'drive with due regard to the safety of others' rule. My employer uses the 15 mph above posted speed rule. Of course, that's only when it's safe to do so. On some of the back roads you're doing really well if you can safely reach the posted speed...

This... My employer says we can drive as fast as safety allows.
 

Handsome Robb

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I'll add to what I said before.

If we are running code in a construction zone or school zone we are required by company policy (not sure about the law) to drive the posted speed limit.

Makes for slow going sometimes considering our two interstates are both undergoing heavy construction to widen them.

I will never ever speed through a school zone, no person's life is worth risking the lives of children.

My partner and I take it a step further and have an unspoken agreement that we go the speedlimit in residential areas as well.

We both also agree on a 85 mph cap on the freeways. Our units will do 95 but I do not want anything to do with blowing a tire and wadding an ambulance up at nearly 100 mph.
 

Tigger

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I'll add to what I said before.

If we are running code in a construction zone or school zone we are required by company policy (not sure about the law) to drive the posted speed limit.

Makes for slow going sometimes considering our two interstates are both undergoing heavy construction to widen them.

I will never ever speed through a school zone, no person's life is worth risking the lives of children.

My partner and I take it a step further and have an unspoken agreement that we go the speedlimit in residential areas as well.

We both also agree on a 85 mph cap on the freeways. Our units will do 95 but I do not want anything to do with blowing a tire and wadding an ambulance up at nearly 100 mph.

Being in an ambulance going 95 in in the top 20 scariest moments of my life. Words were exchanged with my partner when I finally saw the speedometer.
 

Handsome Robb

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Even 85 is pushing it. Fully loaded we are sitting around 18000+ lbs. That's a lot of weight going really fast, with disc brakes.

I always wondered why Type I and III units don't use air brakes but I guess it would be a total pain in the butt to get every employee a CDL with an airbrake endorsement and have it as a prereq for employment.
 

WuLabsWuTecH

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I'm on 2 departments:

In the urban/suburban department, our SOG says no more than 15 mph over the limit under usual circumstances. Rolling stop of no more than 10 mph required at every intersection where you are priority negative. Full stop required if you are not certain you have everyone yielding you the right of way. Overall controlling words are "with due regard."

In the rural department I am on, we are suggested to go no more than 10 over the posted in populated areas. We cover 190 square miles, and the hospitals can be over 45 minutes to an hour away. So if we are responding from out of district, on a clear and sunny day sometimes we push it quite a bit. But in no circumstances do we ever go faster than we are comfortable. Remember, it's not _your_ emergency! There have been times where response times were in excess of 2 hours when it was snowy.

I personally won't go faster than about 70 mph with a patient in the back. I feel that past that I can't control the vehicle well enough in all circumstance to avoid throwing the crew around. I'll go slower, 55-65 tops on non-straight roads with a pt in the back.
 
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