Drivers fail to yield for EMTs: 'We have a patient on board'
FLORENCE, Ore. -It's one of the first rules every driver learns when getting their drivers license. Drivers must pull over and stop to allow active emergency personnel through the area.
While this is may be an obvious rule of the road for many, medics on the coast say that too many Oregon drivers have either forgotten the law, or choose to ignore it.
A week and a half ago, EMT Dave Haberman was rushing a heart attack patient from Mapleton to Sacred Heart at RiverBend in Springfield on Highway 126.
"We just couldn't get the cars to move over. They would stay in their lane and continue in front of us," said Haberman.
It's an issue that the Western Lane Ambulance Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) said has created a big safety issue; drivers fail to yield for active emergency vehicles.
"That's the most dangerous part of our occupation ... when we are driving," said Western Lane EMT Dave Haberman.
The driver's manual (and Oregon law) states that all drivers must yield to approaching emergency vehicles, pull over and stop.
Haberman told KVAL News that the Code-3 trips, like the one from Mapleton to Springfield that often have the most problems.
"It's the Code-3's ... going to and from emergencies that seems to be our biggest nightmare." Haberman said.
Haberman said that more motorists are not stopping and he's frustrated.
"I would say that we have a pretty good population out there that pays attention but there's 50% out there that will not give us the right of way on the road," explained Haberman.
He said that some drivers shift their cars just over the white fog line, never coming to a complete stop.
"Thinking that that's enough room for us to pass, but we have to be able to pass safely. We have a patient on board," the EMT said.
On another recent ambulance run, Haberman said a driver thought it was a good idea to drive faster, rather than pull over.
For Haberman, that was a rare occurrence. More often they see motorists tailgating the ambulances they're rolling Code-3.
Haberman says some drivers think they have a free run at driving fast, jeopardizing the safety of other drivers as well as the EMTs and victims inside the ambulances.
"If it was their family member in the back, I'd be sure that they'd get off the road and out of the way, if they knew it was one of theirs."
The state police said that failure to yield to an emergency vehicle is a class-B traffic violation resulting in a $260 ticket.
I like the dash cam idea. And a couple of REALLY LOUD train horns aimed straight forward.
Did somebody call the WAAAAAAHHHMBULANCE ... whaaaaa ,whaaaa, whaaaa.
I've always wondered why they don't mount a dash cam in the ambulances to capture the image of people failing to yield. Ambulances have a run report so it wouldn't be hard to prove that the medics were running Code-3 at the time. Then law enforcement just has to mail a ticket to the registered owner of the vehicle.
This is a state wide problem trust me...  The problem is thier is no enforcement from the police. The cops can't stop and write someone a ticket for failing to yeild, because most of the time they are on thier way to an emergency and can't stop to write a ticket...  Police have better things to do that follow ambulances around to write tickets.    I have at times writen licence #'s down to turn over to law enforcement, and I doubt the do anything when maybe something as little as a phone call would get folks to obey the law.... But then again in my experience   people don't give a crap about other peoples emergency's, they only care when its happening to them..
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I will never understand the decision to put Riverbend ( Sacred Heart) Â where it is. With McKenzie Willamette Hospital just a few miles east, it makes those coming from places like Florence have to drive about 30 miles more. Why didnât they build it in West Eugene, instead of so close to another hospital? Stupid move, in my opinion. Â I have thought so ever since the planned building was announced. I guess West Eugene and those further west donât count as much as those east of Eugene.....where they have two hospitals within a few miles of each other.
@angelgabe To understand that, you need to understand the politics of the Eugene Mayor and City Council as compared to that of the Springfield Mayor and City Council....
@angelgabe It is called the lack of conceptual ability. It is ever so prevalent in an instant gratification society.
@angelgabe Kind of late for that argument don't you think? 30 miles more? Check your odometer. It is about 11 miles from the intersection of W. 11th and Beltline to Riverbend. The article is about drivers not pulling over to give emergency vehicles the right-of-way. It is an issue regardless of the location of the hospital.
 @John Lloyd  @angelgabe From where Prairie Rd exits onto Beltline it is 11 miles to Riverbend..One of my family members was in the hospital in Sept..I should know the mileage. From Prairie rd exit to W 11th is another 6 miles or so. that totals to somewhere around 17 miles just from w11th to Riverbend taking Beltline rd.
@Whitehawk @John Lloyd @angelgabe Don't forget you start really hitting the heavy traffic about Veneta.
That ticket anount is a little low, IMO. You get one like that just for a 42 in a 25....according to a friend of mine who just got one. I think about $500 would get a lot more attention.
@hewhoo Why not write down the licence # and send the dip SH#@ a healthy ticket, start some new
cash flow hahahahahahahahah right ..I've said it once before STUPID PEOPLE SHOULD NOT DRIVE. end of story =))