Ambulance Drivers to Take Driving Lessons

Many drivers are well aware of the presence of emergency vehicles on the road. With their flashing blue and red lights, and screeching sirens wailing from half way down the road, we are taught as driving pupils to notice these from as far off as possible, and to allow them to pass wherever is possible.

If only they were just as cautious.

Ambulance bosses at East Midlands Ambulance Service have decided to draft in a series of driving instructors to train their ambulance drivers in the skill of driving, after a recent amount of road traffic accidents involving the vehicles.

In the year running up to April 5th, over 400 incidents were recorded of ambulances colliding with other vehicles – however even this figure was down from 462 the previous year. The cost of these mishaps totalled over £400,000.

In light of these shocking figures, a team of skilled driving instructors has been called in to help improve the skill of those behind the wheel of ambulances, to reduce the number of collisions, and to reduce the bill of funding repairs to other vehicles.

A review of the situation revealed that the most common flaw was ambulance drivers leaving the hand-brake off – followed closely by clipping wing mirrors, bumping into parked cars, and poor reversing technique.

Whilst it is true that ambulance drivers are often required to drive in high-risk situations, it is surely a great idea to help improve the amount of accidents caused by these vehicles.

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Safe driving from Britannia!