Ambulance Road Safety

[NYCntg]

I'll throw in my two cents, I don't believe machines will ever replace good judgement, nor be able to gauge if a drivers reaction to the conditions around him (her) were appropriate, only the lack (or presence) of an incident can ever do that.

IMHO:

1. Nothing will ever replace good solid training.

2. A beeping system would scare patients / or make an annoying partner more so.

3. GPS tracking seems to be only used for punitive purposes when it comes to crew interaction, If a map on my monitor could be pulled up telling me exactly where the job was (when in unfamiliar territory) that would be useful, but the only feedback I've ever gotten is I'm not in the place I should be.

4. I don't drive like a nut, but some of my partners do, (but dispatch doesn't know who is driving) and I've never heard comments on breaking or swerving (or cursing :wink: ) which we have to do a lot of since it is evident that the public in my area got their licences out of a Cracker Jacks box!

Show me something useful without ridiculous driver feedback and I'll get behind it, they give us unbelievable responsibility with patients lives, but treat us like children behind the wheel.

[tniuqs]

I hate to rain on a parade, but this acceleration and "G" force recorders have been around for > 20 years. I believe that the audible feedback is a excellent means of learning and teaching how to operate an emergency unit, but YES to hell with the "E" response.

Make the ride with a patient a glide !

Make the ride smooth for the Medic in the back of the Gut Wagon so smooth so that they can work without hitting the wall or stagger around like a drunk.

Kick back at a stop sign is just poor operation, as is not tolerating the other drivers and predicting the sillyness of THEIR actions.....Two of the most important thang (s) I learned from My Preceptor are:

1- "EXPECT" the unexpected.

2- DON'T GET ANGRY....their all idiots get so used to it.

cheers

[NYCntg]

I hate to rain on a parade, ...1- "EXPECT" the unexpected.

2- DON'T GET ANGRY...

1. I do

2. I don't

3. it's easy to "Glide" when you have 90 mile (Kilometers) of empty highway ahead of you, Try a City at rush hour... and tell me to glide to a stop when a young mother pushes her baby in a stroller out in front of you between parked cars... :roll:

4. I believe in smooth rides, going and coming, it just ain't always possible.

[JPINFV]

I remember this a lot when I was attending (my company doesn't have enough drivers to go dual drivers on most units). Just because the speed limit is 40 MPH in a section doesn't mean you HAVE to reach it. I think that alone, especially with short distances between intersections, is one of the biggest causes of a rough ride.

[tniuqs]

I think that you may be under an impression that there is not as little "Grid Lock" other than in the Big Apple, I can reasure you that this is really not a reality in Alberta.

The main Hiways are rather crazy as most every where in North America and the posted limits are 110 km thats = 68 mph (as if most oilpatch types don't move one hell of a lot faster) the downtown corridors as well are quite nuts too...., but its those damn moose that fail to push the cross walk button that get me going... :shock:

(oh ps, I have done a "ride along" in NYC outa da Bronks Burrow) the typical response time when I was there last was based on the speed of the elevators :roll:

cheers

[Richard B the EMT]

Us "east coasters" have freeways, thruways, parkways and expressways. All are "limited access" roadways, so what are you going on about, JPINFV?

And I'll ask the inevitable question: Why do we drive on a Parkway, and park in the driveway?

(Ah, Language: Can't live with it, can't live without it)

[JPINFV]

Us "east coasters" have freeways, thruways, parkways and expressways. All are "limited access" roadways, so what are you going on about, JPINFV?

We just call everything a freeway out here on the west coast. Just some of the idiosyncrasies on the west coast that I need to get rid of, like calling freeways by their number (i.e. Interstate 5 is simply known as "the 5") and giving distance in time ("How far is it from here?" "About 5 minutes").

[Richard B the EMT]

...and giving distance in time ("How far is it from here?" "About 5 minutes").

No offence intended to the neighbors to my Northern border, but that sounds like a Canadian thing.

Or, something involving the New Joisey Toinpyke!

[Richard B the EMT]

Oh, my, I forgot to mention "Turnpikes" in my listing of limited access roadways. Most of them on the east coast of the United States, leastwise the ones I know, are toll roads, you pay by what plaza you came on, and what plaza you leave the roadway.

[tniuqs]

No offence intended to the neighbors to my Northern border, but that sounds like a Canadian thing.

Or, something involving the New Joisey Toinpyke!

Funny you say that Richard, as that "time vs distance" or "bout an hour and ten" thang it is so common in the outlying areas that its almost expected, but I had no idea that Kanukistanese was parl'ed in Joisey too! It must be part of the "free trade" agreement I recon, yes another oxymoron.

cheers