Cars, pedestrians block ambos in shock dashcam clips

Motorists are hitting ambulances multiple times a week, as new footage shows cars refusing to pull over and cutting off code 1 ambulances.

Oblivious motorists are holding up emergency ambulances, paramedics have warned, as they urge drivers to get out of their way when safe to do so.

Motorists have collided with ambulances multiple times a week in the last few months, and shocking dashcam footage has captured numerous incidents where cars fail to give way despite lights and sirens.

The footage, released by Ambulance Victoria, included clips of drivers failing to pull over or change lanes for a trailing ambulance, or even slowing down.

In other cases cars – appearing to ignore the other stopped motorists – drove through intersections paramedics were trying to cross.

In two particularly shocking incidents ambulances had to brake or take action to avoid pedestrians who had stepped in front of an approaching ambulance to cross the road.

In another near miss, an ambulance was cut off by a car that pulled out directly in front of them as they exited the intersection.

Ambulance Victoria quality and clinical innovation director Dr Tegwyn McManamny said, in the last four months, they had seen about 14 collisions every month between “lights and sirens” ambulances and other vehicles.

“It can make our lives more difficult though when road users brake suddenly, swerve or make decisions that are hard to predict,” she said.

In comparison, there was an average of three collisions a month involving ambulances attending “code two” – which do not need a lights and sirens response

Dr McManamny said “most road users” did the right thing, those “who don’t move out of the way intentionally can pose some significant challenges getting us to people who really need us“.

“Some of the cases we go to, minutes change the outcome.”

She said drivers should always be aware of their surroundings and — if an ambulance is behind them — avoid sudden moves, and instead, if safe, indicate and move left.

“It’s essential not to panic, but to safely move out of the way,” she said.

Drivers should, if safe, indicate and move to the left to let an ambulance pass, keep emergency lanes clear and, even if they have a green light or arrow, give way to paramedics at an intersection.