In Spain an ambulance is SACRED. If you have to get on the sidewalk you get on, if you have to jump a traffic light you jump it, but the ambulance must pass no matter what.
In all Euurope is like that: it is the first thing taught in a driving school. Unfortunately in the USA nobody goes to an actual Driving school and getting a license is a Joke for 14YO kids.
Same in Israel. If there is green traffic light people will patiently wait for the ambulance to pass on red. Otherwise our drivers are absolutely horrible, but they do respect the emergency services.
This reaction is not only for ambulances, it is also for Police patrols and Fire trucks. If you hear a siren and see lights, get out of the way and make a way! Greetings from Spain!
Police is losing respect . Sometimes they drive fast to make the person in the back bounce their head against bars/walls. Persons who didnt have a process yet.
In Australia here, my young son had an artery burst and had a brain bleed and needed to access Hospital care and surgery immediately. If not, he would have died. In Australia, everyone makes an effort to get out of the way and let the ambulance through. You should just care about everyone but hey, you never know whether the person in the ambulance is your loved one.
@@speccwolf@speccwolf Well, he got to the hospital really quickly;, he had suffered a stroke because of this but is doing well now!! Obviously, it's a mix of being fit and healthy and getting to the hospital really quickly!
This makes me proud; in Poland it's called a "corridor of life", nice name isn't it? Our drivers not only move out of the way, but if there is enough space for an emergency vehicle to pass, other vehicles just stop at the curb and let the ambulance bypass.
Same in Germany, where it is called: Rettungsgasse (Emergency lane). It is required by traffic regulations that when a traffic jam is forming, you should move closer to the edge of the road. Both in Poland and Germany drivers do it well, and a failure to give way to an emergency vehicle is negatively perceived by road community and punished with fines.
I would say Czech Republic does the same. I've never met any situation where a car wouldn't move out of the way. And the cars do stop to let the emergency vehicles pass. We usually don't continue on the way even if it's a straight road with no turns.
Unfortunately it's still not perfect, there are always some people that think they are more important than an ambulance. But beacuse it's a law if you don't let the ambulance pass you will be fined.
@@byczaszarlotka There are also the confused people that have no idea where to move. Or people that didn't hear the ambulance. As far I know being deaf doesnt disqualify you from being a driver (at least in Poland).
It's so natural to the European drivers, that the responders can confidently fly directly at oncoming traffic on THEIR side of the road and they'll have little, if any, issue
Likewise in Australia, they cross over to the other side of the road if they need to. And they slow down for a red traffic light and go through. Drivers on the green stop for them.
In a Britain we always pull to the side. I’ve been in an ambulance, with a two year old having a bad asthma attack. The traffic was heavy and we drove on side roads and motor ways but everywhere traffic moved aside. The ambulance staff worked on and by the end of the twenty minute drive, we arrived safely and with a much fitter little boy.
Come to Malaysia. You will be shock to see all motorists give way the moment they hear the ambulance and fire engine siren, on the road, intersections traffic lights or toll booth. They can speed through even in a bad traffic. Some motorcyclists even take the initiative to clear the traffic way ahead of the ambulance to ensure a speedy ride to the hospital. Life is precious. Proud of Malaysians.
In the UK, when i hear any sirens, i check all mirrors, if its behind me from me, normally half a mile. Ill prepare and make room WAY AHEAD OF TIME, same as other drivers, you will not see blocked roads ever! if you have to go on the pavement, check mirrors and blindspots so you dont hit walkers
We also have laws here in the U.K that protect the life of the person in the ambulance. Your licence plate is immediately caught on camera, and if that person dies as a result of you not getting out of the way then thats it for you, its a mandatory prison sentence for at least manslaughter.
You’d want others to also do it if you or one of your loved ones are in it. As soon as you hear a siren every UK driver checks their mirrors and acts accordingly
English person here. It fascinates me when I hear any first responder, because it's like Moses and the parting of the Red Sea. EVERYBODY moves sideways. Except once on a bridge, straight after a roundabout and there was literally nowhere for the car driver to go. It was standing traffic, 2 lanes each way, for about 30 seconds till the traffic traffic began to move and then a kane miraculously appeared. But I'll bet it was the longest 30 seconds of that drivers life. NOBODY wants to be the one Infront slowing down the responders getting to their destination
It's basic common sense and empathy - what would you want to happen if that was your loved one or you in the ambulance? You'd want it to get to the hospital as quickly and safely as possible. So a massive thank you to all drivers who do it right.
Yes exactly. Doesn't matter how many times I see the "corridor of life" - it always makes me cry. I love to see how people come together for a cause. I refuse to think it's only because of possible fines.
My American daughter in law was visiting us in the uk…I was driving when an ambulance was coming up behind us. The traffic immediately pulled to the right or the left making a perfect opening ahead. It was like the parting of the Red Sea! My daughter in law was totally shocked how instantaneously drivers reacted. She talked about it all day!
I’m sad to say that your daughter in law sounds a little self absorbed in this respect. Most if not all US states require that you move to the right when an emergency vehicle is approaching from behind in traffic during an emergency situation. It is also in the drivers training manual that states issue for drivers education before issuing a driver license. Too often many people here in the states are too self absorbed with themselves to learn it or remember it. I really don’t intend to be mean you your daughter in law, but the information on how to behave in that situation is there, it’s her responsibility to learn and her fault for not doing so. Kind of like the stereotype of the brainless teenager.
@@jamesmarciel5237 stop picking on people who have done nothing wrong on the internet mate her daughter was just appreciating the thing she witnessed. stop self projecting out your behind how terrible your life is. be more conscious of what you say and try and not reflect the misery that exists in your life too others. people deal with sht all the time people like you are not needed in this world draining the essence out of people. you obviously took wen comment personally and made yourself too look like a right div
@@jamesmarciel5237 but most Americans don't seem to know it. Maybe you should require the knowledge on your driving theory test like it is in the UK, then everyone would know.
@giftofthewild6665 - Why are you assuming Americans don't know the law and that it isn't included in driver education and the driving test? Are you basing that erroneous attitude on one RU-vid video that handpicked the worst scenarios they could find to represents the entire huge USA or do you just want to believe it?
On my driving exam I had an ambulance and I “broke” the rule of not stepping the double line. Needless to say I pass the driving test despite that, because the examiner noticed that I was quick to react. After my driving test he just asked if I realized that I broke the traffic rules and I calmly reply and said…well lives matter and I can take another driving exam anytime if I failed.
Examiners have a lot of power when you demonstrate awareness to genuine randomness - I got bonus points I could redeem against other minor problems quickly and calmly responding to a kid running out from behind a car during my test
In the Netherlands, you're not just allowed to, you're even obliged to break basic traffic laws (cautiously) to get out of the way of emergency service vehicles! Everything from crossing lines on the road, to ignoring signs, traffic lights, etc. Except ignoring traffic-handlers, but they will guide you in the best direction anyway. So doing that cautiously, in a quick and orderly fashion, will never get you into trouble! I think it's that way in most EU countries!
During my exam I had to disregard the speed limit by like 20 km/h on the autobahn. 2 lanes, one getting closed and some signs that indicated a reduced speed limit to 100. In theory I had plenty of time to overtake the truck that was driving next to me but as the lane closed by a vehicle inched ever so closely I realized that the truck next to me was speeding at 100 instead of the allowed 80 for trucks. 2 trucks back to back and another car in my back mirror that somehow had to wedge its way in as well so no time to fall back. I had to hit the gas. I thought it was over but at the end the examiner just told me that shit happens, as long as you react accordingly its fine.
also, making space for ambulances makes otherwise forbidden stuff somewhat legal. driving over a red light is also "allowed" if it is for you to make space, and if you were to get a ticket from a red light camera you can actually get that off of you, when bringing the ambulance up.
In Europe we are told from the time we are kids "When you drive and see or hear an ambulance .. let him pass it can be someone from your family there."
As an European, we are taught that we should prioritize always the ambulance ! Cause there might be somebody's life in dangerous and every minute matter, but also one of your family member might be inside, and or an organ need to reach the patient fast !!
in germany, hindering emergency services is handled the same way as resistance to law enforcement, so it can go from a simple fine all the way to a prison sentence, so german drivers are highly motivated, not to get in the way... i don't know how other european countries handle it, but i imagine they will have laws in place as well.
I've seen people get arrested blocking an ambulance in '18. Silver Mercedes with a HH number-plate (probably a rental) and a guy with a really red face in a business suit. Even kinda boxed the ambulance in so i hope they fined him like there is no tomorrow.
@@peterpain6625 most likely, a ambulance in deployment has radio contact active and cameras on, so police can and will be informed immediately and they come in angry, it's one of the few situations in which german cops loose every sense of humour. in their eyes, raging at a deployed ambulance is on the same level as hitting a child or kicking a puppy.
I'm german and wasn't aware of the fine. I just thought it's common sense to help the ambulance to get through, the same for fire fighters and police. There is no reason beside being fucking egocentric to not do that.
At least we do when it's actually possible. I was in a gridlock one time with an ambulance parked on my rear bumper blatting its horn. There was nowhere to go to get out of the way. Literally nowhere. Even if everyone squished to one side of the road, it wouldn't have left enough space for the ambulance to get by (no shoulders in a one way underpass). The only way that was going to clear was for someone to block off traffic from some side roads further down the road to allow the blocked traffic to be able to move out of the way.
This is not just about respect. Even if you are the most selfish asshole, you get out of the way, since next time, it may be you in the ambulance. I am from the Czech Republic, and I was really disgusted by people just not giving a fuck. I literally don't understand how this isn't a crime.
In Europe it's called the corridor of life and it's illegal not to get out of the way of emergency services . In Poland it's heavily fined if you try to use it and drive behind the ambulance
In the Netherlands there are 3 lanes on the autobahn. The rightmost lane is only for emergency services or for people in need. It is prohibited by law to use that track. If you do this, you will have worked for nothing for a month because you will receive a hefty fine. In the Netherlands we also pull over when we hear the sound of ambulance, police or fire brigade. There is someone in NEED and maybe next time it will be your turn. Have respect for this. Greetings from the Netherlands.
@@arturobianco848 It looks really nice, but I would be hesitant to say that it works better. Our ambulances seem to carry more speed than the one in the German clip even when there are traffic jams.
When I moved back to the UK, after living in the USA for 20 years, one of the first things that struck me was when an ambulance came up behind me in a long stream of stationary and slow-moving traffic, and the cars and buses just parted, almost miraculously, like the Red Sea, leaving a clear path down the middle of the road. It was a joy to watch.
Technically, it is illegal here in the U.S. too. Unfortunately the police are generally dealing with other issues and this can be seen as not as important.
Same in the UK - you cannot enter the box if there's no way for you to continue and exit it. People who ignore this have their cars recycled with them inside it.
Yes I noticed that. UK we have box junctions you can only sit in if turning right, otherwise you stay on the edge of the box which leaves the junction clear.
As a Portuguese, I can confirm. Ambulances, firefighters, police, we all move. Anytime we hear a siren from afar, our reaction is to figure out immediately with sound and vision where it comes from, so that we can learn if we’re in the way or if we need to move so that the cars in the other direction need can continue the corridor. It’s stupid not to do so. If someone needs urgent help, why would any of us contribute to lowering the chances of that person to suffer more, get permanent injuries and/or die? It’s our tiny contribution and our “hang on, and good luck, crossing my fingers for you.” There is nothing else we can do, so we must allow those who can do something to do it as quickly as possible.
It's not only mandatory, it's an actual crime not to do it: blocking a rescue vehicle carries a hefty fine and the possibility of being tried for negligent injuries or even manslaughter. We don't fuck around with people's wellbeing.
Its very common in europe, since you are 5,6 years old for our parents to tell us "if you hear a siren doesn't matter if its an ambulance or a fire truck - move from the way, somebody might be dying" and I got it stuck in my head to this day. Greetings from Bulgaria!
That New York one was even more shocking when you realise 50% of the vehicles are cabs and are supposed to be professional drivers. And they aren't moving any better than anyone else. C'mon, driving is your JOB.
@@Marcel_Audubon bro just move to the side, its not that hard if both lanes move to the side a bit the ambulance is supposed to fit. Just look at the clip from poland they had around the same amount of space to get out the way but they dont care they got out the way. or the clip from germany theres no room so eveybody instantly tries to make room. The stupidly big ambulance from the US doesnt really help either.
theres so much space on every side, there is way more than enough to let the ambulance through, it works out in germany and we have smaller streets than americans@@Marcel_Audubon
in Japan, toll booths are done via phone app and the vehicle doesn't even need to stop anymore. i saw this in a taxi when i visited Japan earlier this year.
They are still extremely slow there. Literally in Osaka had a moment one month ago on a quite a long crossing. 4 people including me stopped in the middle to let them pass. Instead they almost stopped, looked at us pointing fingers and all for of us were pointing with the hands and bowing showing that we insist them to go first. I was thinking there that I prefer seeing ambulance going full speed ahead and everyone getting out of the way and stop moving like in Europe
In Germany you are obliged to create an emergency lane on the motorway. You learn that in driving school. Just like the obligation to make way for emergency vehicles, even if you have to run a red light, for example!
That was me last week. Just waiting for the lights to turn green and an ambulance coming up behind me. So, yes, I ran a red light just enough to get out of the way.
And you have to create it AS SOON AS the traffic slows down and starts to jam up. And stay at the sides until you can speed up again. So, if the traffic is crawling, the emergency lane should stay open. So, when a emergency vehicle comes up, their path is already free. Sadly, that seems to be hard for quite a few drivers, so they scramble to the sides when they hear the sirens. And if the traffic is at a full stop, that's not as easy as it is if doing whilst stopping.
The bad part is that you learn that in the us too. Which not all of the country are as bad as this in this video. In the Midwest where I live it’s pretty good
@@ripvisitor many in Belgium believe its a motorway rule only unfortunately. And in Belgium motorcycles can use the lane to filter some cagers get jalouse and will block the emergency lane.
In Britain the emergency services can go through red traffic lights, drive on the hard shoulder , exceed the speed limit but only in an emergency situation . We always give way safely for emergency services to pass
Since i live in a strict center of Warsaw just next to a hospital i often see emergency services vehicles driving against a traffiic or tram tracks. Kinda bada$$
I am Norwegian. I lived 4 years in North America and got shocked on the lack of respect for ambulances there. In Europe, they get absolute priority, and you are supposed to move away and give pass
when I see an ambulance here in Slovakia (we are in Europe 😂) it's a competition who can get out of the way the best it seems :D it's mandatory now to leave an emergency lane when in traffic jam on a highway people are a bit confused sometimes but we always move out of the way immediately I've never seen any exception to this. it is stressful a bit, I would feel like such an ass to not be where I'm suppose to be, there is someone in the ambulance who can be life and death, every second counts. it can be me, it can be family member, friends, but at the end of the day it's a human being needing help. and also for people who left the emergency lane before isn't it incredibly rewarding feeling? 😂 I don't know what it is but it's like being a good person for a sec feels really good
See how pedestrians in Poland, Germany and other countries reacts to red light (don't walk). It explains why drivers in this countries reacts to ambulance siren in this way.
Its pretty much everywhere in europe from what i have noticed. Not that i've seen traffick in and mabulance in every europen country but in all the ones i saw everybody moved.
from France. when it happens and it's packed around me and everyone is trying his best to make way for the ambulance or the police going through, and if it passes from the effort of everyone even from a tiny bit, I'm filled up with pride for having done my duty as citizen and it's really rewarding. I can not comprehend how people can not do that 😢
I'm an American, and had the same instinct. I hear those sirens anywhere while I'm driving and it's an IMMEDIATE pull off to the right and stop. And heaven help me if I'm a passenger and the driver doesn't move. Their ears will be burning for MONTHS!
You can easily find videos of an ambulance driving in heavy three lines traffic in the Warsaw's city center. And all drivers make way for an ambulance. The rule is really simple: edge left line goes to the left, all other lines go to the right - and the corridor of life is created. Greetings from Poland.
It’s about respect, I believe in the USA all ambulances are run by companies and charged for? In India ‘if it’s your day to die, it’s your day to die’? Here in the UK if we see an ambulance on what we call ‘blue and 2s’ we know it’s genuinely a life or death call and every second counts so we tend to get out of the way, and expect others would if we were in the ambulance.
In most US cities, it is not the law to move aside for an ambulance -- its just courtesy of the others on the road. However, a police or fire siren always gets the right of way.
@@Cheepchipsable yeah but if everyone leaves a small space and every 10 or so cars a bigger gap then traffic can move out of the way, I think it’s mostly a cultural thing.
Private ambulances can’t put on sirens. They transport from hospital to home for home hospice for instance or between facilities. Yes you pay for ambulance in emergency but they come form the fire house. It’s not about respect. The kid picked grid lock in a downtown area where there is no shoulder during rush hour. Either accident ahead or protest. God help us. People move over in the US. Unless they are blocked or in intersections our ambulance on an emergency does not have siren on all the time. Just flashing lights. Cause it’s not needed and less noise pollution. I’d rather they on the entire time myself. Further ambulances can go against traffic. For the Manhattan clip half of traffic ahead could not see where the ambulance even was given the bus and how bumper to bumper it was. I wished the bus stopped moving. Then a path could be cleared although the ambulance ought to be more in the middle than by the curb. I highly doubt someone did a clip of it going to plan.
@@thequietjuan What? It is the LAW in EVERY state that you have to get out of the way. It's on every driving test. For ALL first responders. Not yielding can get you ticketed.
In Italy everyone moves immediately to let the ambulance through. No matter if you have to go on a sidewalk etc. And in the highways there is a reserved lane on the right for emergencies/emergency vehicles. I volunteer as an EMT and when at work in the ambulance I NEVER ever had to wait in line like some of these examples. Honestly it was shocking for me to see.
I cannot speak for other countries and cultures, but in the UK the majority care enough to make way for emergency vehicles. It is embarrassing to see these videos of people who think their journey is as or more important than an emergency one. 😯
I think they genuinely don’t know what to do. Some people freeze, when there are no clear rules. Or you have competing rules. In Germany we know that an ambulance takes precedent before red lights and other regulations. If you have to break some other rule to let the ambulance pass you are allowed to. This makes it easier to decide quickly. 😅
I'll be honest, I'm German and just had to google if you can get charged here for hindering an ambulance (and yes, as others already stated, you can and you will. If our law enforcement would only take everything as seriously as they do traffic violations, lol). However, I think it's really a cultural mindset thing of multiple factors coming together. A driver's licence and a car are privileges. Both are expensive, gas is expensive, and upkeep is expensive. Not owning a car (especially when living and working in a bigger city) is fine but if you own a car but lose your privilege to drive it, especially for good, you'll be judged and mocked harshly. Consequently, we take car- and traffic-related things seriously. Forming a "Rettungsgasse" is something we watch from early childhood on, if there are reports/news about major traffic accidents and people blocking ambulances and rescue workers, they'll be judged harshly in those reports/news/articles. And road manners, especially regarding accidents, ambulances, and power imbalances (car vs pedestrians, bikes, children, the elderly, people in distress etc.) are one big topic that's covered (or at least I hope it still is, it was when I got my licence a while ago). Regarding ambulances and police sirens, I think most of us have a "today you, tomorrow me" attitude. You don't want to be the one to die in the back of an ambulance because of some a**hole. Consequently, you don't want to be that a**hole causing someone's death because you were too snobby or lazy to pull to the side. Also, common sense and common courtesy. Not clearing the path is just rude. Finally, and maybe that's more of a me- than a general problem - those sirens are eff'in loud and annoying. Holy hearing loss, who wants to expose themselves to that noise longer than necessary?! It's irritating, unpleasant, and stresses me out so much, I wanted to make a Rettungsgasse here at my desk just from watching the video (had to tune down the volume). The sooner everyone gets out of the way, the faster the noise goes away. Win-win.
In the UK an ambulance or paramedic car on blues & twos is given way by all traffic. Blues & twos are blue flashing lights it tells all motorists there is an emergency either onboard or they are heading to an emergency. So includes fire engine & police. Here in Liverpool the traffic moves immediately where it’s safe to to allow the ambulance past. Not sure about London but I would imagine it’s pretty much the same there as well as all our other cities x
Blues & twos, blue lights and two-tone nee naw sirens. These days the sirens are multi-tone as different waveforms are heard easier closer or further away, so you'll hear the siren change depending on who the driver's trying to notify.
I'm from Canada and we pull over to the right IMMEIDATELY when we hear a siren. It doesn't matter if it's an ambulance or a fire truck or a police car. We believe in the "what if that emergency vehicle is for your loved one". We also pull over and stop for funeral precessions as a show of respect for the dead and their family.
In Germany it's the law that an emergency lane must be opened as soon as the traffic jams on the highway. So all those cars that only start moving away as the ambulance approaches: They are doing it wrong !!!
Stuck in busy traffic in Lancaster city centre in the UK last Saturday and an ambulance came up the rear sirens blaring. It was so good watching all the traffic behind and ahead just part like the Red Sea and find a gap to let them through and then close in behind as it passed.
It should not need laws, rules or regulations. It is basic human decency. One day, that ambulance stuck behind you may be on it's way to help someone you love.
Having some rules defined helps though. When everyone follows the same idea on how to make way it goes way more smoothly than when everyone has their own idea and people have to coordinate ad hoc. That's why the Polish and German video look so orchestrated: you learn what to do in driving school and most people do that - not always at once, but at least they usually remember when they hear the wailing sirens.
This really happened in Malaysia before, one fella refuse to give way to the ambulance, and keep blocking ambulance way to bypass him. But he doesn't know that his father is on that ambulance due to heart attack, and his father pass away before arrive hospital.
It does depend on where you live in the U.S, in my experience most people will move out of the way for all emergency vehicles. When I hear that sound I move over if I can and get over when I find a place.
In Germany actually everybody knows what to do in case of traffic jam on the autobahn: We have to give way even when there is no ambulance seen anywhere. It is called "Rettungsgasse" (rescue lane). We have to keep a lane free between the leftmost lane and the lane next to it. So, ideally, there should always be a rescue lane for the ambulance, and nobody has to panic if a siren is heard. But this does not always work. There is no such rule in cities, but we all try our very best to give way in case of emergency. Of course nobody wants to be to blame for a death of a person.
Yeah, I love that about Germany. There is efforts for the lane to be always kept In Czechia. I am living abroad so idk how well it works but my dad said it's now well known thing to do.
The clip from Germany highlighted the importance and difficulty of syncronization. It's impressive how all move aside at the same time, but there was also this poor guy who missed his chance and got "stuck" in front of the ambulance. It's not like he's not trying to get out of the way, he just doesn't have anywhere to go. So while it looks easy in theory, getting hundreds of individuals to move in sync is incredibly hard. Which makes it even more impressive. By. the way; the video from Poland gave me goosebumps of joy.
Here in Austria we have the same system as in Germany - The 'Rettungsgasse' (Rescue Lane). Basically, the left land moves left, and the two right lanes moves right *as soon as traffic comes to a standstill*, even before we hear a siren. There's also very high fines for blocking the Rettungsgasse. The system works really well.
We actually have this in some parts of the USA too. We call it “the shoulder.” I was taught in driving school to always pull over into the shoulder when we hear or see an ambulance, and people generally always do it where I live. The problem with the US examples in this video is simply that the US is a huge country with different states making different laws at different times. In places like New York, there usually isn’t a shoulder because the streets were built before anyone came up with that idea, and the traffic is so heavy that creating a shoulder on these tiny streets would make traffic even worse (also people seem to park on the shoulder in New York a lot (if one is in the area) which I don’t understand because that is illegal in my state). I think in these heavily congested areas of the country, they are stuck between a rock and a hard place simply because of the dense population, the horrible roads, and the architectural decisions that make it impossible for ambulances to drive on patches of grass or the sidewalks. I know this is kind of difficult to explain to people who aren’t familiar with the USA, but the situation is totally different out west where everything was built for transportation by car since the western US didn’t get a huge population boom until after the automobile became popular and widespread. The streets are wider and usually have shoulders out here in the western US. Of course, there are exceptions such as San Francisco or random streets in my city/county that are much older, but generally, the Western US doesn’t deal with this problem as much because of the inclusion of the shoulder and the way everything is spread out more. My area of the country also has a thing called Life Flight. (Life Flight is a helicopter ambulance that is usually used to reach patients in remote areas quickly and efficiently.) Since things in the Western US are much more spread out and have a more mountainous, rugged terrain, Life Flight is essential for people who need immediate medical care in the mountains or just live super far away from the closest hospital. *TL;DR* the point of my very long comment is that things work differently in different parts of the US. And while I definitely think congested areas such as New York need to work on improving their response to ambulances, they also face problems that those of us from the Western states do not have to deal with. Urban planning in the Western US includes shoulders and Life Flight, and not all of the United States can be summarized by seeing some ambulances trying to get through traffic jams in very densely populated areas with poor road design.
The one in Germany is very similar to what happens in The Netherlands. Before getting our drivers license, we have to do a theory exam and there always are questions about how to respond to ambulances and other emergency vehicles. A few rules: In any situation: WE GET OUT OF THE WAY On a road that has one lane in both directions, everyone has to move to the side of the road, off the road or onto the sidewalk if there isn't enough room and we just park there until the emergency vehicle has passed. On a two lane highway: When there's a lot of traffic, we move to the sides so the emergency vehicle can drive through the middle, effectively creating a third lane in the middle of the road. If there's not much traffic, the emergency vehicle just takes the left lane and everyone will move to the right. On a three or more lane highway: When there's a lot of traffic, the emergency vehicle goes between the outer left and second to left lane, as is seen in the first part of the German video. When there's not much traffic, the emergency vehicle takes the left lane. People who don't move out of the way risk a fine of up to 1000 euro's and losing their drivers license for a few months. Obviously, if there's no room to move, for example in a traffic jam on a bridge, you don't get fined. But staying on the road while you can move onto the sidewalk is a serious offense. A few more things: Ambulances and firetrucks have right of way (and are allowed to ignore red lights) when they use both sirens and emergency lights. Police are, in very specific situations, allowed to ignore traffic rules without these. Most traffic lights on main roads are connected to the emergency system. If an emergency vehicle approaches, the crossing will be cleared for the route of the emergency vehicle (for example, all crossing traffic wil get red lights and only the route of the emergency vehicle will get green lights). In the Netherlands, the average arrival time of an ambulance from the moment the emergency call (112, our 911) is recieved is 10 minutes and 6 seconds. 95% of all ambulances arrive within 16 minutes and 46 seconds (the rule is 15 minutes, which over the past few years hasn't been achieved in all regions). Comparable: In the UK, it's fairly normal, and these days even expected) to take an ambulance up to 2 hours to arrive, and taking more than 5 hours isn't an exception either.
It starts with education. There's a reason why driving lessons and exams are compulsory (and expensive) in Europe. We are taught this stuff and considering how much we have to pay to learn all of this, it better be good. 🙂 Unfortunately expats and migrant workers don't need to do these exams. Many of these drivers can be spotted from a distance, completely oblivious to the concept of "when in Rome....".
Have seen another video of "realer irrsinn" (reallife madness), where people complained about the law, that you need to redo lessons/tests (as long as you came from outside the EU), to get an permanent license to drive in germany and that you can only use your non-eu license up to 6 months (mostly for tourism or short term stay). But things like making way for a emergency vehicle, are the reason we have such a law.
@@Rafaela_S. These people just don't realise what a potential danger they are to society. In the EU people know what they can expect from their fellow road users. Almost everyone has gone through the drill. When foreigners disturb the flow it causes so much tension which is very noticeable in the traffic. Like some people who laze behind the steering wheel with heads barely visible going at low speed on a busy motorway where the average speed is much higher. I've seen them. OMG! It's begging for an accident to happen. They just don't get it.
@@MYoung-mq2by I know, that's why I personally think the rule that they need to redo the drivers license if they want to stay longer than 6 months in germany is good. As for tourists, I'm not sure, on the one hand, I can understand, that people want to have the option to drive, just like I would want to have it, if I would travel to the US or to rural areas of other countries, where you would need a car/motorcycle (I prefer motorcycle) to travel around. In my opinion they also could shorten that 6 months to 3, since tourist visa are 90 days max. and if you want to stay permanently, 3 months should be enough to redo the license especially, since you don't need to repeat the first lessons about how to control a car in general.
Yes, agreed. I can imagine though that 3 months would be a bit overwhelming when there's so much to think of. But there should at least be some kind of compulsory workshop to follow to learn about the specifics of driving in the EU and the host country. Not to learn to drive but concerning regulations and behaviour. For tourists, fair enough. Most of them are careful as strangers in a foreign country.
not only educatiom, it's a law (in here, and I think in lots of european countries) to drive in a way where you're able to give way to the first responders. They have that camera on there, give them trouble you'll get fined.
Even in the UK pedestrian know if we see a ambulance or police and fire engines coming our way we dont cross the road whether were using the zebra crossing or traffic lights until they have passed.
Here in Brazil, we do have a law that obligates the driver to give way for emergency vehicles. Some time ago, when I was 10-13 years old, my mom was taking me back home from school, we were in an intersection and just became green to us but in the other direction was red, all others car's was given the way to the ambulance and the car's on our line didn't go because of it, but one stupid driver that was in front of the red side didn't move, my mom and others drivers were honking for that guy to move, and finally he moved to the right side.
It's the law here in Canada. When you cross the Canadian border, there are signs posted advising travelers that you are required to pull over for emergency vehicles.
Not just the traffic that makes way for emergency services. In England if you are at a crossing as a pedestrian and hear sirens you don't cross and let the emergency services through.
In Portugal, when you obtain your driving license in theory classes, priority is given to emergency vehicles. At an intersection with signals, cars that are in front of a red light often move forward with caution and interrupt the movement of drivers where the green light is located so that the emergency vehicle behind can circulate. Nobody gets upset about this, and we only get upset if another driver tries to take advantage of the situation by following behind the emergency vehicle.
In other countries people think, "Some poor soul needs to get to a hospital fast. That could be me some day". In the USA they think, "This cheesecake will spoil if I don't get it in the refrigerator soon. No way I'm pulling over for some loser that probably took a drug overdose."
That's a generalization of your making. I don't know anyone like that. Everyone where I live makes an effort to get out of the way of emergency vehicles.
@@reindeer7752 Well we've all seen evidence to the contrary. You could equally say, "nobody I know has a gun", when we know there are more guns than people in the USA. The first step in solving any problem is to acknowledge it exists and you for one seem to be in denial.
@@reindeer7752 It's the same where I live, and in the city, my sister lives in, people usually move out of the way for an ambulance, you might see one or two assholes that the ambulance has to go around, but most usually move over, though we don't live in places that with traffic like Manhattan and that unknown town so it's easy for them to move over, I think those two videos were bad examples, they showed two extremely crowed roads where it looked like most people couldn't get over because the ones around them wouldn't pull over, can't really blame the cars in the middle, you can't move over if you have nowhere to move over too.
@@jamesrowe3606 There are a few Europeans who admit not every emergency scene looks like these hand-picked ones. Likewise, there are people in the USA who don't move for emergency vehicles, for a variety of reasons, but the vast majority do. These RU-vid videos always hand-pick the worst examples they can find for the USA and the best they can find for Europe. As far as guns: I don't know anyone who owns a gun. I don't own one and never have. My friends don't own guns. The relatives closest to me do not own guns. I have known someone in the past who owned a gun, a police officer and a veteran. I know the people I see walking around are not carrying a gun because they are wearing clothing that could not hide one and they are not wearing a holster. you need to read the statistics on guns. The number of guns and the number of gun owners are far from a one-to-one ratio. A lot of gun owners are members of white supremacist militias who have been stock piling guns for decades for the "race war." There are other nut cases like the ones who tried to take over the Capitol building who have multiple weapons.
@@reindeer7752You are welcome to broaden your horizons and come to Europe, then you will find that the behavior shown in the video is the usual one you will encounter here. Even the last video, where a German fire truck drove through the rescue lane, shows that even if it did not come about perfectly, this behavior, which clears the way for rescuers, is omnipresent. Here no one gets the idea: the others should clear the way, I will stay where I am... The emergency lane is mandatory, it must be formed when traffic comes to a standstill. Not just when the traffic jam is current.
It shows mainly how much respect PPL have for their own. It's about life of your "brother or sister". If you don't care you don't deserve to live yourself. Greetings from Austria.
In Europe, people make room for emergency vehicles not just out of respect but also the law. But in many countries, people don't care. (until they need them)
We have to do whatever it takes to get out of the way in Norway - drive on red etc if you need to get out of the path of emergency vehicles. It's not that hard. Left lane(s) goes left, right lane(s) goes right and cars have mirrors for a reason.. It's part of the drivers license education
In Ireland as soon as you here the siren even if you are unsure of how faraway it may be you pull over to the side immediately.Thank goodness I have never seen a situation where it couldn’t pass .That is somebodies loved one in that vehicle fighting for their life !
I've seen it happen once where some idiot didn't get out of the way. We were on the wat to visit my in laws and just outside of Charleville (North Cork, in case you're unfamiliar) when we heard the siren. Quick look in the rearview and could see the lights in the distance. We immediately pulled in, as you do. When the ambulance passed, there was some gobshite still driving in front of it. We both ranted about that driver for the rest of the drive and for a while after arriving. My father in law is a retired paramedic, so he joined in.
If there is a manned toll booth, the person in there should open the barrier as soon as they hear the sirens. Not just for the ambulance, but for every other veichle in front of the ambulance, so that they can clear the road faster. That should be right on top of their job description.
I love how in India and China -- there were efforts to impede the Ambulance. Merging in front of it. Not slowing to leave a gap. Manhattan was just a bunch of clueless people not thinking. The people on the outer lanes could easily have mounted the curb to make some room. But they weren't concerned because the Ambulance wasn't directly behind them. Here in the UK -- Ambulances and Police practically part a sea of cars at gridlock with people doing anything possible to get out of the way.
Yes, we get out of the way of an ambulance any way we can in the UK. I was taught that if I really couldnt get away, maybe because I was in the middle of a junction, I should stand on my brakes so that the Ambulance knew I had stopped and wasnt going to move in his way
It used to be worse in Australia as Ambos used to have only red lights which people ignored, but now all 3 (police, ambo and fire) all have blue and red, you get hefty fines if you don't get out of the way. Also in some bigger areas Ambulances etc are fitted with a device that trips the light green in their direction of travel to help clear the way at intersections.
It also helps that we can run a red to let them pass. This is also why we need to leave space between our cars at the lights (or stopped in heavy traffic) we can all get enough of an angle to part the way. I always do a 360 trying to find where the emergency vehicle is coming from. Very stressful moment XD
The Germany highway was a four lane road. There is a video where a ambulance went from one side of Amsterdam to the other one in about 15 minutes during rush hour. I can tell you that is quick. I don't know how it's done in other countries of Europe, but most of them have designated driver instructors. You litterly going to driversschool. So everyone learns to drive in a simialr way. That's why european drivers know what to do when hearing the siren. And because everyone knows what to do all the people in the other lanes make space for the people who need to get out of the way. The american way is you learn to opperate a vehicle by a realitive and probably learn "bad" habbits handed down the family because it was always done that way. Probably not even knowing that there are bad habbits. Also i get the "I am walkin'here" moment from Dustin Hoffman vibe in the USA. As in, I dont care if you are diying in an ambulance. I have to go to work too. So yeah, it is a cultural differnce too. Very indivualistic. We have a saying in the Netherlands. "Vele handen maakt licht werk" It means so much as if we work together, the work will be easier. The synchronus moving out of the way you saw in Poland and in Germany is the same way the Dutch do it. That is a prime example of how working together will let an Ambulance go through a lane during rushhour.
In the UK and Australia we have motorbike paramedics that can get through city traffic, or ride the pavement (sidewalk) they can start immediately before the actual ambulance can arrive. In both countries it's mandatory to pull over to let emergency services through.
I think they are everywhere in europe nowadays i know they are quite common in the netherlands to. They ussualy are the first to arrive or they only send a motor one if its not very urgent to check things out.
In Australia motorcycle paramedics are often sent to serious cases, so they can get through city traffic and stabilise the patient while the stretcher is still on its way.
Most places I have lived in the US, people are very good at creating a lane, the one time I remember there being an issue was 4 lanes stopped by moving cross traffic, people in the front literally had to ease slowly into oncoming traffic lanes to make room
Upstate NY, is totally different. Most of our first responders are volunteers and we move over. In heavier Rochester/ Syracuse traffic it takes a little bit however they move over as well.
Joel you are like a breath of fresh air. I am Australian and over seventy. I have been driving for over fifty years. I have always tried to get out of the way of emergency vehicles as soon as I can. Now I can't help but think that one day it might be me in the ambulance and I hope people will get out of the way.
Thats how everyone should think when it comes to emergency services, today it might be a total stranger in need, tomorrow it might be friends and family and one day it might be you. Cant get my head around those that dont care.
As in the USA, Berlin looked the same before the legislature introduced a criminal offence for not flattening something. In Poland and East Germany, this was the case from the Soviet Union era and everyone did it the same way even without the law.
I’m in the northwest of USA and people are good about pulling over for emergency vehicles. I can’t speak for the big cities like Portland or Seattle but out of massive cities the emergency vehicles are taken seriously.
The difference is that in general europeans do not belive government should be small enough to be 'drowned in a bathtub'. There is a role to play for Regulation to help steer collective Action for everyones good. Making way for emergency access is the bare minimum that humans should be able to agree upon
I live in central California have driven over 50 years and I find most vehicles move out of the way to provide a clear path for ambulance. It may be a crooked path , but they do get through. Bill from California
In Iceland, when you are staying in front, on a red trafficlight and a Ambulance is becoming behind you. You can drive slowly over the Redlight, to the side, to make free space for the Ambulance- then normaly you get a picture. So later on, you ring in the Policestation and give up time and place where you drove over a red ligth. The Police will check - all sirenes from Police,Ambulance ect are gps-tracked - and when its korekkt, you do not get a ticket, for "driving over red light"....
In Germany the thing we do is called a Rettungsgasse which i think you can translate into Emeregncy lane. no one wants to be badly hurt and just waits for hours for the ambulance to arrive. You never know if someones live is in danger i think thats why we do it. I dont know about other Countries but before you can have a drivers license you have to do a first aid course. If you then witness a accident and you don't help thats a crime in germany. You have to at least call an ambulance, if you cant help because of maybe trauma, regardless of how many times the same accident was reported.
In Ireland, traffic generally pulls over to let an ambulance pass. I was once at a toll booth, and an ambulance came up behind me and the attendant just raised the barrier and waved the car in front and me through to let the ambulance. So not only did the ambulance get a free pass, the cars in front did too.
The scene with cross section in the US where one direction was blocking the intersection - in Germany, you have to keep that secton free. That's the basics in driving school.
The medical charity for which I worked for some years in East Africa had two 4x4 ambulances based in rural areas. Absolutely nobody took the least notice of the lights and sirens - even police vehicles got in the way. The result was that really desperate measures had to be taken by our drivers to get the kids to hospital. It's was a culture of "everybody for himself" on steroids. 😢
Where I live in New Zealand it's normal for everyone to try to pull over and clear a space for any emergency vehicle. It;s great to see so many countries that do this.
It isn't surprising that you don't see "Rettungsgassen", the making space for emergency vehicles, in other continents. Afaik, the rescue lane (literally "Rettungsgasse") was "invented" by a german policeman. He submitted a proposal to the Ministry of the Interior in the 1960s, which was included in the traffic regulations at the beginning of the 1970s. My guess is that the other european countries considered this idea to be good and reasonable and therefore also implemented it, which is why this type of reaction to sirens is relatively similar within europe.
We actually have this in many places in the USA too. We call it “the shoulder.” I was taught in driving school to always pull over into the shoulder when I could see or hear an ambulance, and everyone does it when the shoulder is available. The problem is that this video shows New York traffic which is a ginormous mess and has infrastructure that was built before the shoulder was invented. Most places in the US are not anything like the examples in this video.
@@MiMi_MoMo Oh, nice to hear that at least some US states adopted a similar system to enable emergency crews fast travel to their destination. I get that it can be difficult to make space in innercity traffic, yet people do have some space, and if everyone, and i mean absolutely everyone, makes as much space as possible, it >might< be enough for an ambulance to get through. And for the "shoulder" one hint to everyone that doesn't know the following: start moving to one edge of your lane as soon as traffic comes to a crawl.(at best the same edge as everyone else) In germany we have to start building the rescue lane as soon as traffic comes to a crawl on an Autobahn / Highway. Rule goes as followed: Far left lane to the left, every other lane to the right. But this is for the Autobahn, not for innercity traffic, where it can get a bit...crowded like in the NY footage. In big cities it always can and will be a mess. regardless of where you are on this planet.
In Germany the rule is pretty simple. The left lane goes to the left, everybody else needs to go to the right. The road is big enough to open a full lane and if done propperly we will go highway speeds in that lane. If you block an emergency vehicle and that delay causes more damage you get a fine. If it's damage on a person you need to go to court and it's somewhere between a heafty fine and 1 year in jail if someone dies because of you. There is also a point system that can get you suspended or banned depending on how many you get. In Europe an ambulance get watched by traffic control. If it's urgent they block an intersect and clear the road behind of it. Once you cleared that red intersection you can fully send it until the next one. In that case we easily go 120mph+ unless we need to be slower because of the patient, or if the doctor starts working on the patient while driving.
I lived overseas, the European countries tend to have intense driving instruction that is expensive and longer than ours. It is a privilege to drive not something that takes 6 hours of class on an automatic.
I done my car licence in Poland in 1993 back then it was 20h theory lessons and 20h driving lessons and your instructor then decided you ready or not for the test witch was done in test centre that was independed from driving school .
Japanese ambulances are probably not in a hurry. We use toll roads to cross the jurisdiction by transferring hospitals, etc. It's being transported, so I'm turning on the red light, but I think it's a movement without urgency.
For longer transports we will use helicopters in Germany. In general they can land on the Autobahn without much trouble next to the crash site. The reason for using them is usually that we have regional hospitals which are specialized for certain injuries, so to get optimal treatment you may be flown 50 or 100 km away, instead of driven. This will be decided by the first responders on sight and is - like any medical treatment in such situations in Germany of course free of charge. :) I can't believe that people in the US gives so little shit about the lives of other people.
We have air ambulances in the UK too, and they are especially useful in rural areas where it’s so far from the nearest hospital or hard for a vehicle to access.
@@SuperDebyO well, that's usually not what's happening in Germany. There's a law that an ambulance needs to reach any place in Germany in x minutes on average. And due to cost most places are served by road vehicles. If there's evidence that a doctor may be needed on scene, he drives independently, to ensure that help is arriving quickly, in severe cases, as they don't start from the same position. (emergency doctors are regular hospital doctors which interrupt their shift and start from the hospital they work at, while the ambulances start at the fire station). But we have regional very specialized hospitals, which provide optimum care for certain cases, so if the nearest hospital can't provide the care the doctor will call a helicopter to move the patient to the special care hospital, instead of driving to the next one. . If the patient is too unstable for an immediate air transport, the patient may be stabilized on the way to the nearest hospital or stabilized there and then flown to the special care hospital. So yes, in very mountainous regions you may be picked up by a helicopter, because driving takes so long - but that's a very extreme exception. Everywhere else you're picked up by a car.
I worked as a Paramedic in Ft Wayne, Indiana for a number of years. Our worst runs were during peak hour. We would be stuck at lights without anyone moving their vehicles. The non driver of the ambulance would get out, remove the mega mag lights we had on our belt and tapped drivers windows say "Move Now !!! This could be one of your family members." They got the message real quick and moved. The efforts we had to go to in order to get to and then return a critical patient to hospital at times were insane. One thing we were taught to force traffic to divide was driving in the middle of the road, this forces oncoming vehicles to move over and the traffic travelling in the same direction of the Ambulance also had to move over. Regarding stopping for tolls, that does endanger the patient's life. In trauma and other severe medical cases, every second counts.
In so many countries, it's evident that the thought "what if they are trying to get to someone dear to me?" never crosses anyone's mind. Mind baffling.
Dunno about other countries, but here in Norway we learn this in driving school and it's also a part of the driving culture. It's REALLY stressed that this is important
Interesting battle: personal freedom vs. common rules. In the first videos you can see cars who really want to do something and stuck in the middle of a bunch of cars. One little rule how to move and where, when you hear sirens helps to make a whole lane free. It costs everyone only a few seconds of their personal freedom to follow a rule and you can save lifes.
Personal freedom is created by common rules. People do see both as opposites but one follows out of the other. And this example shows it very clear: being dead is the end of personal freedom.
@@joepss7946American? Me? No. German overthinker here. :) My comment was a wild guess that Americans don’t like rules even when they enable common safety.
