Coming into work on M8 this morning, just after the junction with Barlinnie where the 3 lanes slow to a stop for rush hour.
An ambulance with blue lights flashing was working its way through the traffic by creating space between lanes 2 and 3, albeit at a slow pace.
It continued to do this even when the M80 on slip road joined the M8 (this slip then becomes the off slip a mile further along).
As I was coming off at that junction, I joined this slip, made progress and actually passed the ambulance that was still trying to carve its way through lanes 2 and 3(or 4 and 5) which they are at that point.
This is not the first time I have seen this and was wondering why do they not simply use the hard shoulder when its an emergency? There is a clip on youtube of an organ donor vehicle making progress and it used the hard shoulder when it hit this same traffic.
So was this poor driving by the ambulance driver or are they encouraged not to use the hard shoulder?
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Probably balance of risks, if they run up a broken down vehicle on the hard shoulder they'd be stuck and also increased risk of tyre damage - just a thought.
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When traffic flows, even slowly, it's quicker and safer to stay in the main lanes and get people to move out of your way.
When it's totally stopped, the hard shoulder is the better option.
Judgement call at the time...although chopping and changing isn't normally a good option as it confuses people.... so just when you want to swap from one to the other, someone up ahead has used that space to get out of your way..
...and believe me the unpredictability of some folk...you really do not want to be confusing them any more
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Like westpig says, if the traffic is completely stopped, then I'd always use the hard shoulder (max of 40mph with blue lights and siren). If moving slowly then I think I'd take my chances between lanes 2 and 3 as using the hard shoulder would only make things confusing when I get to a junction.
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as previously mentioned, the hard shoulder is full of debris, bits of tyres, screws and bolts wot hold on lorries wheelarches, etc etc. I wouldnt fancy trying to change all 6 tyres on an ambulance if they all went flat.
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When traffic is moving at normal pace, emergency vehicles use normal lanes.
When traffic is nearly stand still, emergency vehicles use hard shoulder.
Don't see anything wrong with this approach.
If they use hard shoulder and comes behind a broken down vehicle, joining main carriageway may be more risky than continuing on main lanes from beginning.
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Emergency Services use of hard shoulder - R.P.
