Flashing green lights = doctor. What can they do?

Some emergency docs get green lights on their cars, like my fave the Thamesdoc in his Golf, but what do they allow you to do...?

You not an emergency service, so can't run red lights can you?
Can you speed?

Is it just a "gerroudamyway!" thing?





On the same note, I saw an awesome looking Subaru yesterday in Euston with blue lights, DOCTOR written down it and FO hi-viz on sides and rear.. and he was tearing up the marylebone road like a loon. cool!

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I think they are treated the same as any other emergency vehicle. (Else there wouldn't be much point in the lights?)

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Can't do anything, just a way of asking for courtesy from other road users and for them to move over and let you through.

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VD-NCC#10

SG#10

OK, got bored and googled it instead:
for anyone who cares:

What is the legality of using green lights?__ Any fully registered doctor can use a green beacon to ease progress though traffic if responding to a medical emergency call._ I count this as being any call where the patient is not in a safe environment, there is the POSSIBILITY of a life or limb threatening condition, or if the patient is in severe pain, but there is no standard definition._ Using a green beacon does not grant you the right to break the speed limit or treat a red light as a give way._ Discuss this with your local traffic police._ It is very unlikely that they will prosecute you if you are driving SAFELY._ In fact the most useful thing about green lights is to protect you at the scene of an incident.

Green lights are only for Doctors at the mo but there is talk about letting Madwives sorry I mean Midwives use them as well.
They don't make you exempt from the laws in the same way that blue lights do which is why a lot of Doctors are now using blue lights with the permission of the local Police.

A doctor may use a green light but is not exempt from any road law UNLESS he works on behalf of the ambulance service THEN the VEHICLE is being use for AMBULANCE purposes (same as an RRV) and he would have road law exemptions

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IIRC emergency services have to abide by the road traffic act, so they should always stop for red lights. It is just a big blind eye gets turned as they *usually* have a very good reason to jump lights.

*usually* = i.e. late for your tea does not count.

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TIT#211D

What's the rule on yellow lights? Can I just stick on my bike so people get out the feckin way?

On a related note, most of them are driven by ex-emergency services people (cops/firemen types)...

Yellow ones mean: "I'm going to hold you up for a very long time if you don't overtake now!"

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<<A doctor may use a green light but is not exempt from any road law UNLESS he works on behalf of the ambulance service THEN the VEHICLE is being use for AMBULANCE purposes (same as an RRV) and he would have road law exemptions>>

When I was doing blood runs, we were briefed that Kent Police would treat us as an ambulance so long as we had blood product aboard, that we could exceed the speed limit by a reasonable amount on motorways and dual carriageways, but that we subject to other traffic laws - ie we were not to cross red lights... A mate of mine got pulled over by an Opel Senator, they checked he had product on board, asked "what'llitdo?" to which the answer was 165, so they towed him down the M2 at 135...

On the other hand at the same time, Sussex Police nicked a bloodrunner for 100mph on the M23, then escorted him to the hospital... Sigh!

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"Force has no place where there is need of skill" Herodotus 450BC :burnout:

Any one knows how to get that green light?/beacon.? is it sold in the uk?

I had a green light while working on the isle of mull, just to let the idots know i was trying to get through to an emergency. Single track roads i needed it!!!

I hope you are not checking out how long it will take them to get to you in an emergency. Not good form that!!!

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Slow Filtering God. Wuss#127.6



Penfold

I am a blood runner am i able to put green lights on my car to ease me through the traffic?

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