Driving over the speed limit

[tskstorm]

Stay out of Southern California then. If you go 65 in any lane but the right lane on most freeways in So Cal outside of rush hour you will be run over by a car going 80 or faster.

I never claimed I didn't speed, I just think the way that was said was funny.

I was always told the reason we have such low speed limits around most of new york because more often then not people don't really follow the speed limit they follow the speed limit +10 mph, so if the speed limit was 80 people would do 90 etc...

Speeding with a patient on board is more than likely unnecessary but it is what it is ...

[tniuqs]

Well it was said in the 60s "Speed Kills" those that always just have to be ahead of the pack will eventually pay.

I honestly have not had a moving violation or even been stopped in over 25 years this driving record goes a long way when looking for employment alone, drivers abstracts are required here in vast majority of cases upon hiring.

Although I have the capability in my personal vehicle of travelling at > 105 mph ... do I NO ! I am very aware of gas consumption and do a lot of long distance driving consistant speed is the key to improving every response times.

Personally I laugh at these clowns that speed all the time and then complain about gas prices.

Still looking for a bumper sticker:

PARAMEDIC ON BOARD ... GO AHEAD and PASS ME.

I will introduce myself later.

xxxooo

Do I exceed when operation of Ambulance's but not excessively, 10 mph over is just fine but situation dependant, road condition much more imprtant, I limit risk as much as humanly possible, thing is usually I am stuck in the back.

The patented "GIBBS Headslap" has been used more than once.

cheers

[fiznat]

EVEN CODE 3..we dont exceed speed limits when driving on surface roads if a patient is in the back.

I assume code 3 means lights + sirens etc (we call that "priority 1" here but everyone is different).

I feel like driving slower than the flow of traffic (as "at the speed limit" usually is) while also using lights + sirens is a dangerous situation. You really don't want cars passing you when you're traveling like this. If you are going to drive the speed limit, just turn the lights + sirens off!

I guess I'm not surprised, but I am a bit dismayed at how everyone wants to be such a strong supporter of "going the speed limit all the time," "speeding is dangerous and illegal" blah blah. Be honest. I will guarantee you all that you drive faster than the speed limit, in the ambulance, on a regular basis. I'm not talking about recklessly dangerous driving, but definitely over posted speed limits. I think anyone who says they observe the posted limits ALL the time is either 97 years old, or lying. It seems like people on here love to take the high road so often, and post as if they never do anything wrong, lazy, or something that may be conceived as either of those two. Lets be real here. You speed.

Edited April 30, 2009 by fiznat

[paramedicmike]

Still looking for a bumper sticker:

PARAMEDIC ON BOARD ... GO AHEAD and PASS ME.

I will introduce myself later.

xxxooo

Dude! Why are you looking for them? Just get them made up on your own and start selling them. You'd probably do pretty well for your trouble.

Just an idea.

-be safe

[theotherphil]

After what happened in the last driving thread, I won't even mention what happens in the UK

Speed doesn't kill btw, inappropriate use of speed does. If it did, I'd have killed loads of cute puppies today and maybe a fluffy bunny or two

[donedeal]

IMO, people may think they are less likely get hurt in an ambulance or fire apparatus because its such large vehicle with a lot of metal. This is false. If you are a chronic speeder, I recommend you sign up for one of the many line of duty death email distribution lists that include apparatus accidents. Almost daily there's a wreck, and all too often there is a death or life threatening injury involved. It's scary how often it happens and you'll see when you get these emails. Speeding lengthens your braking time and other drivers, unaware of your presence will brake when they see you before they hear you. When you drive excessively fast you tend to sneak up on other drivers before they can even hear your siren. They panic and stop dead in their tracks. You're speeding and you crash. It's not worth it. You are liable and will face charges. Try landing a job after that happens.

[itku2er]

Well if they have a DNR and they have not gone into shock ( everybody dies of some form of shock) then they need to be treated. DNR means Do Not Resuscitate, not Do Not Treat.

Maybe I should clarify that.... You have a patient that has NO VITAL SIGNS (no pulse no breathing and no b/p) AND A SIGNED DNR. This is relayed to 911 and they still come in with lights sirens and run in like bats out of hades.

[tniuqs]

Speed doesn't kill btw, inappropriate use of speed does. If it did, I'd have killed loads of cute puppies today and maybe a fluffy bunny or two

Funny but every study I have looked at states the same thing over and over, then my field experiance and listening to traffic investigators ... so please Define "inappropriate speed" ... svp.

Now Factor in the "busy" times for ambulance operation and "E" responses then add the all important age factor and gender behind the wheel, throw in a bit of fatigue, I certianly hope ambulance operators are not drinking so eliminate that factor ... volia ... Speed Kills.

Motor Vehicle Occupant Injury and Fatality Risks: Age, Gender, Day of Week, Time of Day, and their Remarkable Interactions

16 October 2008

Dr C. Craig Morris

Category: Social Sciences

Safety Research

Objective: Motor vehicle traffic crashes have killed over 40,000 people in the U.S. every year since 1992 and remain a leading cause of death in the U.S. The study described here investigates factors strongly associated with the risk of motor vehicle occupant injury or fatality (age, gender, day of week, time of day, speed, alcohol, and fatigue).

Method: Injuries, fatalities, injury and fatality risk, and risk ratios are analyzed using four data sources: (a) motor vehicle occupant fatalities in the U.S. (excluding motorcycles, buses, and large trucks) from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Fatality Analysis Reporting System; ( motor vehicle occupant injuries from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) National Electronic Injury Surveillance System All-Injury Program; © motor vehicle occupant hours of travel by age, sex, day of week, and time of day from the National Household Travel Survey; and (d) population by age and gender from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Results: Results revealed remarkable periodicities of occupant fatalities and fatality risk. While increased risk in the late evening-early morning hours is seen every day of the week, the most fatalities and risk occur during this period on the weekend, during the Friday night-Saturday morning and Saturday night-Sunday morning hours (Figure 1). But these periodic trends interact strongly with age and gender, whereby the most fatalities and risk involve young male motor vehicle occupants during late night-early morning hours, especially on weekends. The increased occupant fatality risk on weekends as compared to weekdays, which is highly amplified in young male occupants and strongly associated with late night-early morning hours, is also strongly associated with speed- and/or drunk driver-related accidents.

cheers

Edited April 30, 2009 by tniuqs

[JPINFV]

So I guess we should ban young males from driving and everyone from driving at night.

Oh, and which speed is safer, 65 or 80 MPH given the following conditions: Speed limit: 65. Speed of traffic:80-90 depending on lane of travel. Heck, that study didn't even look at the cause of accident, but the correlation of factors with fatality. I've yet to see a car going over the speed limit spontaneously crash and burn. Maintaining good situational awareness, proper buffer room, and using turn signals is much more important than speed. All the factors that contribute to fatalities don't mean a thing if you don't get into an accident.

Edited April 30, 2009 by JPINFV

[mobey]

Now Factor in the "busy" times for ambulance operation and "E" responses then add the all important age factor and gender behind the wheel, throw in a bit of fatigue, I certianly hope ambulance operators are not drinking so eliminate that factor ... volia ... Speed Kills.

Don't forget to add some adrenaline, a cell phone buzzing in your pocket with a new text message, and a radio with dispatch rattling off something in code for you to decipher.