Green Lights on Doctors' Cars Explained - Can They Skip Red Lights?

In this short video we'll examine the topic of green lights atop a doctor's car - what road rights or privileges if any do they afford? And can doctors speed or drive through red lights to attend an emergency?

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UKCAT / INTERVIEWS:

[driver]

Hi! I recently stumbled on a video describing green lights in the US. In some states there voluntary firefighters have green lights like this, and like in the UK don’t have the right or way or rights to go through red lights. They are there called courtesy lights and they asked the general public to give way to them even it they don’t have to. Also in other states voluntary firefighters can have blue lights BUT no sirens and no right of way which is confusing, and Iin some states they can have red and white flashing lights like many firetrucks do and sirens to get to the fire house.

Here in Sweden where i live we of course have ambulances with sirens and blue lights, BUT also emergency doctors in similarly looking cars striped in yellow with reflective decals and blue lights and sirens just like ambulances but with the text Emergency doctors on them. I just last weekend became aware that green lights in the UK signifies a doctor.watghing a video on emergency lights and a car kitted with green and blue lights like here in your video, with sirens.

As a side note, in the US many campus security or industrial area security have green lights and some have amber lights instead, but can’t use them on public roads for some reason….

[APRICEPRODUCTION]

Is this why nowadays doctors tend to ride with rapid response vehicles which does allow them to go through red lights?

[oliver.k]

Does the nhs have emergency medical doctors or critical care doctors that go out to patients on blue or green lights or are they in partnership with people like BASICS where they work with the nhs?

[aaronadeboye]

Hello Ollie this doesn’t link to the video, but was a talking point in one of my lectures, that being the Francis report (this details the failure in communication and of the Staffordshire hospital care workers: doctors and nurses to care for up to 60 patients which lead to their deaths) it highlighted a culture of business first patient care afterwards.
The bare minimum was done for patients and in case patients were left on the floor and doctors expressed a sense of enjoyment thinking about papers they could write as the diseases patients suffered from progressed in unseen ways.
As a doctor your self what do you think about this business first, patient after and have u experience this on a ward?

[josephunderhill]

I can't seem to find ANY videos of Doctors cars with just green lights on, do you have any that you can put up here? Very informative video btw, thanks

[charliegreenwood]

Can I ask why a doctor would got to an accident as opposed the paramedics??

[irenedavo]

How many Ambulances are involved I RTA?

[stevesmith]

0:39 The simple answer is yes, with a (currently) single proviso which I will explain.
3:05 There is no need to apply to the police for permission to install blue lights. They can be installed and used on any vehicle used in a manner designated in the law. i.e. An emergency vehicle, or vehicle used for police purposes, or other purposes (such as HMRC, Lifeboats, Coastguard etc).

OK, this is rather complex, and very simple especially as there is a change in law due very soon, s19 Road Safety Act.

An appropriately used/designated vehicle does NOT need any colour lights or sirens, or any markings to claim driver exemptions under the Road Traffic Act. It does not even need a specific type of person to be driving*, it is all about the vehicle's designation and use. It is a little different for ambulances (emergency medical vehicles), to claim the exemptions, it must be dispatched by an NHS ambulance trust, other than that, no lights, sirens, markings etc are required by law. A doctor dispatched by an NHS ambulance trust therefore can claim the exemptions.

*A green light is only for doctors registered with the GMC. These are rare these days since the introduction of orcon times, Fast/Rapid Response medical units, an increase in the number of paramedics, ECPs and of course doctors on board, including the specialist trauma team ones run by the various HEMS there is practically zero need for a local GP to leave the surgery, jump in a car, and attend a patient as an emergency response.

There are only 3 exemptions within the road traffic act, speed limits, treating red traffic lights as give way, and passing the wrong side of keep left/right signs/bollards.

However, under the new legislation about to be introduced, to claim exemption from the speed limit, the driver must have completed, or be on the act of undertaking a recognised high-speed driving course.

Ex-traffic cop from the days when we spent as much time in the classroom learning traffic law as we did learning to drive, over a time measured in months, not weeks, current emergency response driving instructor, and occasional ambulance driver.

[Nathan.]

Could I become a air ambulance doctor?

[downtheshedwithjason]

i had a joke with my equine vet once, turns out they carry green lights incase of police emergency request, i.e. horse and car meet and horse needs to be dispatched quickly

[AllieThePrettyGator]

Doctor's car??? are they also called Fly Car Ambulances

[kod]

Meanwhile I just had a shit ton of these cars block intersections and denied people from going on their green lights for what I'm assuming was a funeral escort....if I don't see blue or a firetruck you're nobody.

[highlandstag]

No such thing as ambulance drivers. Paramedic, Technicians or trainees. Also Paramedics cannot drive with green light say when providing a BASICs response.

[epictetus]

You “feel like” they’re an incredibly rare sight? How do you feel that? Do you mean “I think they’re a rare sight” or “I appreciate that they’re a bit of a rare sight”? Everything these days is “feel like” and it’s nonsense.