Blood bikes

Schindlers Pissed wrote: »

Breaking a load of rules but not causing mayhem? How do you suggest you do that?

Let me see: breaking the speed limit (without causing mayhem); stopping at a red light then proceeding through it if the carriageway is clear (without causing mayhem); crossing a continuous white line while safe to do so (no mayhem); riding on the footpath or in the hard shoulder as long as doing so did not cause mayhem; riding the wrong way up/down a one-way street if safe to do so (without causing mayhem).

I give blood btw, but I don't deliver it, or life-saving organs either. In a real life or death situation, I hope it is safe to assume that the delivery would be effected in the fastest possible manner by a qualified and certified driver (or pilot) who is exempt from prosecution under the RTA - unless they cause mayhem along the way.

After that, it is down to the skill of the doctor/surgeon.

Ah sure maybe the guys using the blue lights missed their calling in life and are trying to make up for it now who knows, its defo a way of drawing attention to yourself as we can now see from both here and esf

Esel wrote: »

Let me see: breaking the speed limit (without causing mayhem); stopping at a red light then proceeding through it if the carriageway is clear (without causing mayhem); crossing a continuous white line while safe to do so (no mayhem); riding on the footpath or in the hard shoulder as long as doing so did not cause mayhem; riding the wrong way up/down a one-way street if safe to do so (without causing mayhem).

I give blood btw, but I don't deliver it, or life-saving organs either. In a real life or death situation, I hope it is safe to assume that the delivery would be effected in the fastest possible manner by a qualified and certified driver (or pilot) who is exempt from prosecution under the RTA - unless they cause mayhem along the way.

After that, it is down to the skill of the doctor/surgeon.

But you see that's the point, they AREN'T exempt under the RTA. Hence my mayhem comment. And exempt or not, "riding on the footpath".......I can see that going down a treat with AGS alright.

They aren't exempt so why the need for blue lights? As said earlier they drive bikes so can cut through traffic, therefore there's no need for blue lights. Taxis carry blood products etc without blue lights, so why should these bikes have them?

As also stated earlier its in case of a Garda escort.......so why the need for blue lights then? An escort properly done has a bike/vehicle to the front and rear of the vehicle being escorted. No need for blue lights.

My point is this.........if they have no entitlement or exemptions under the RTA then why in hells name have they blues?? Surely they are illegal if that's the case.

And yes, I get the AGS escort point......and if the escort is done properly then they STILL don't need blues, do they?

Scatter Cat wrote: »

If the speed limit is 120 and traffic is slower then blues aid progress! I don't see what's not to get!

So what's to stop anybody putting blues on a bike to get through traffic on the way to work?

Schindlers Pissed wrote:

My point is this.........if they have no entitlement or exemptions under the RTA then why in hells name have they blues?? Surely they are illegal if that's the case.

They have a vehicle exemption under the RTA to have blue lights, just not a rider exemption to use them. Same as the Prison Service / Coast Guard etc

Schindlers Pissed wrote: »

Which validates my point then. Why do they have them? It's an extra expense to fit them even though the driver isn't allowed use them. It's ridiculous.

So if a rider uses them as was stated earlier to get through traffic then I would presume that's his actions are illegal?

It's because they are allowed to use them when they are under garda escort. While it's not necessary to have blue lights under escort, it certainly is safer for all concerned if the escorted vehicle does have them so that other road users who yielded to the escort don't pull-out again before the convoy has passed.

Private vehicles don't have a normal expectation that they may on occasion be driven under escort. Blood bikes do however, as do other vol/aux vehicles, so there is provision for lights to be fitted should the need to use them under escort arise.

It's a fetish for blue lights I think. The general public can't differentiate between actual ES and the Vols, I still can't see the point of blues when the rider has no exemptions........how many times a year would these bikes require an AGS escort? Really?

Surely if blood products or whatever was needed in that much of a hurry there would be a faster option rather than calling in a Vol member from home to drive to the pickup point and then do the transfer......would an on duty AGS bike not be the better option?

Once again, fair play to the blood bikes personell, I just don't see the practicality or legality of blue lights.

I would give my right arm for a blue light right now..

Seriously more important things to be worried about such as the terrible standard of driving in the country and if they are carrying an item that is needed fast then I really can't understand the problem as there may be a life saved and that to me is more important then all the giving out about a vehcle equipped with such lights.

Blood1 wrote: »

Thats because they have a bike on each end of the escort so why would they need one.

things hotting up on esf h**ps://***.esforum.org/showthread.php?tid=6384

Same as Blood Bikes then if the escort is done properly. So why would they need them?

Wow, having a look at the emergency services forum and looks like one of the groups really need to be pulled up on thier behaviour.

Pataman wrote: »

Really? What you dont know is that 3 of the posters, who are the main protagonists, are from Blood Bike Leinster. They are not letting the truth get in the way of their slant on the facts. Just like a poster on this forum, set up his account just to get his point across.

I think the facts are there!

Why was this group using their blue lights?

Why are they acting the Bo11ox on a public road?

Why are they wearing no gloves?

These are the facts, are they in despite?