The law catches up for offences like dangerous driving and even dangerous speeding
Mangled remains of the ambulance that lost control and rammed into a tree on Saturday. (Photo: DC)
KOCHI: The accident involving an ambulance that claimed two lives at Vaikom on Saturday night has brought into sharp focus the issue of safety of such vehicles, how dangerously they negotiate the road in emergency situations and what the law prescribes for their movement.
The Kerala Motor Vehicles Rules permit some vehicles (ambulances, fire tenders, police vehicles, vehicles of enforcement officers etc) on emergency duty to have certain privileges on roads like overtaking.
However, the law catches up for offences like dangerous driving and even dangerous speeding.
“In cases like dangerous driving, we proceed against ambulances just as we do in the case of any other vehicle. However, a liberal attitude would be often followed in case of minor offences. In cases of violation, we check the purpose of the sortie, whether the vehicles were transporting patie-nts needing critical care or not,” said P.M. Shaji, Ernakulam RTO.
He said that in the past, there were two expert opinions on how to treat such cases. “I remember occasions when the DGP and the transport commissioner took two stances on the issue. The law is the same but often we take a liberal attitude in cases involving ambulances,” he said.
DCP, Kochi, Harisanker said that if ambulances violated the red signal at traffic junctions, it was an offence. “If they rush in that fashion, it can cause accidents. Normally when ambulances approach with the beacon light on, other vehicles give way and traffic policemen turn green lights on,” said Mr Harisanker.
Harisanker said that though ambulances did not have any special right on roads, the fundamental right to life guaranteed by the Constitution was appl-ied in such cases.
“Ambulances, fire force vehicles and police vehicles approaching with beacon lights on, get the right of way. They are on a life saving mission. So statutory rul-es take a back seat,” he said.
When asked whether ambulances were being misused by unscrupulous elements for other purposes and even turned on beacon lights when not carrying critical patients, Mr Harisanker said that checking ambulances by stopping them could result in losing precious time in genuine cases and would be counter-productive.
“We depend on cameras to identify such violations and charge cases. Also, on specific intelligence inputs, we intervene,” he said.
He also said that there was no specific rule that only a certain vehicle should be used as ambulances.
( Source : deccan chronicle )
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