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Gargamel · 02-17-11, 09:32 PM

In the US, it's a liability question.

If we are running hot (Lights and sirens), then we need to have both on. If we were to get in an accident, and we didn't have one of the two running, then we are GUARANTEED to be found liable for anything that resulted. I personally know a medic who served jail time for not fully clearing (making sure all traffic was stopped) an intersection, and an resultant accident killed some people, even though he had the green light.

In the state of Ohio, Emergency vehicles are forbidden to break the speed limit unless we are running hot. We all have seen the cops do it all the time, and if you wanted to, you could report them. And when we are running hot, we are limited to 10 mph over max. There is also this clause in the Ohio Revised Code that states that we will proceed with "due regard". That means if anything happens, and good lawyer would be able to blame us for it.

So anytime I would be in a hurry, and just not my normal speeding like everybody else, I would turn on both the lights and sirens, any time, any where. The only time I would not use them is under special circumstances, like in heavy fog or snow I'll reduce the number of lights flashing so they don't blind me.

02-17-11, 09:32 PM	#12
Gargamel Lucky Sailor Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Rome Posts: 4,273 Downloads: 81 Uploads: 0	In the US, it's a liability question. If we are running hot (Lights and sirens), then we need to have both on. If we were to get in an accident, and we didn't have one of the two running, then we are GUARANTEED to be found liable for anything that resulted. I personally know a medic who served jail time for not fully clearing (making sure all traffic was stopped) an intersection, and an resultant accident killed some people, even though he had the green light. In the state of Ohio, Emergency vehicles are forbidden to break the speed limit unless we are running hot. We all have seen the cops do it all the time, and if you wanted to, you could report them. And when we are running hot, we are limited to 10 mph over max. There is also this clause in the Ohio Revised Code that states that we will proceed with "due regard". That means if anything happens, and good lawyer would be able to blame us for it. So anytime I would be in a hurry, and just not my normal speeding like everybody else, I would turn on both the lights and sirens, any time, any where. The only time I would not use them is under special circumstances, like in heavy fog or snow I'll reduce the number of lights flashing so they don't blind me. __________________ Luck is a residue of Design.