GOVERNMENT COMMENTS

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau stated that crashes involving emergency vehicles are frequent enough to warrant examination and that, on the face of it, the availability of a better alerting system could yield important safety gains.

 

The ATSB working on behalf of the Federal Government acknowledges the innovative design of the EMERGALERT system and its potential contribution to road safety.

 

 

 

"Every second counts in an emergency- It's the difference between life and death. Lives

 are being put at risk by drivers who do not get out of the way of emergency vehicles"

Minister for Health Mr Craig Knowles. Extract from NSW Health Media Release October 2003

 

 

"The message is a simple one: If you obstruct ambulances or other emergency vehicles,

you are putting lives at risk. It is as simple as that. Those lives could be the lives of your own family. If an emergency vehicle is approaching under sirens or lights, simply pull over to the side of the road and let it pass".Extract from NSW Health Media Release October 2003

The government and emergency services have identified there is a real problem which is endangering lives and the community.

Attempts at addressing this problem have  been ongoing since at least 1999.  Current measures only partly solve the problem.  It is reasonable to charge people when they deliberately impede emergency vehicles, but that is only 5 % of the real cause. 

 

The real cause is the ineffectiveness of the sirens used on emergency vehicles to warn

general road users of impending approach.  Modern soundproofing of cars also contributes, resulting in motorists being unable to reliably hear emergency vehicle sirens early enough.

EMERGALERT has the answer to assist modern emergency services to save time when seconds mean the difference between life and death.

We are currently seeking the Australian Communications Authority approval implement life saving ts technology. This will save lives and create a safer a community for all Australians.

       Listed below is the ACA's parameters on how they approve proposals to operate

       radiocommunications equipment that are inconsistent with Australia's arrangements for

       managing the radiofrequency spectrum.

The ACA is responsible for facilitating access to, and use of, the radiofrequency spectrum. Access to the radiofrequency spectrum is intended to:

• promote economic efficiency;

• encourage technological change;

• expand freedom of choice;

• accelerate economic development; and

• benefit the general community.

      EMERGALERT covers all aspects required by the ACA for this proposal to be accepted,

      resulting in a safer community for all Australians.

      Remember it could be you or your children requiring life saving intervention when seconds

      mean the difference between life and death.

"The worst enemy that emergency services face is time. Seconds literally count when trying

to get a heart started again, intervening when someone is being burgled or attacked,

or catching a fire before it flashes over and engulfs an entire house in flames".

RTA NSW ACCIDENT STATISTICS 1998

QUESTIONS IN PARLIAMENT

Dr REFSHAUGE 24/09/1998 Legislative Assembly

"I am advised by ambulance officers that there are too many occasions when ambulance vehicles are delayed because drivers are not giving way to them. If drivers hear a siren, the rule is simple: they must make every reasonable effort to give way, such as pulling over

to the left and stopping. It is becoming apparent that many drivers simply do not hear sirens

at all. The modern design of vehicles is such that most traffic noise is blocked out, and the problem is exacerbated by loud stereos, mobile phones and airconditioners."
 

Mr HUNTER: My question without notice is directed to the Deputy Premier, Minister for

Health. What is the Government doing to help ambulance drivers deal with drivers failing to move aside in emergency situations?

Dr REFSHAUGE: In an emergency every second counts. Any delay puts at greater risk the lives of those seriously injured in accidents at home, at work or on the roads. Deliberately or otherwise, drivers on our roads are failing to give way to ambulances, resulting in delays in ambulances attending emergencies. The issue is so serious that the Government is

taking immediate action. New South Wales Health in conjunction with the Roads and Traffic Authority is developing an education campaign, including community service announcements on radio, to ensure drivers know what to do when they hear a siren. Further, I have today

written to the Ministers for police, emergency services and roads to establish a working group to address the issue.

Mr ANDERSON: My question without notice is to the Minister for Health. What is the Government doing to assist ambulance drivers?

Mr KNOWLES: Honourable members would be aware that every single day ambulance drivers and ambulance officers around the State visit thousands of accident scenes But ambulance officers are often obstructed by drivers who simply will not move out of the way of an ambulance that is traveling to the scene of a trauma. Those drivers either do not know the rules, or they just do not care.The main problems reported by ambulance officers include drivers failing to pull over; drivers stopping in the middle of traffic without warning; drivers passing through red lights in an attempt to clear a path for the ambulance; and tailgating, perhaps the most dangerous of all of the various illegal activities.

The message is a simple one: If you obstruct ambulances or other emergency vehicles, you are putting lives at risk. It is as simple as that. Those lives could be the lives of your own family. If an emergency vehicle is approaching under sirens or lights, simply pull over to the side of the road and let it pass.
extract from NSW Health Media Release October 2003

      Emergency services vehicles, whether they be police, ambulance or fire, sometimes have

      to get to  the scene of an emergency as fast as they can to save life or property.

      Queensland law dictates that when authorised to do so emergency vehicles must drive

      with flashing lights and siren warning devices whilst responding to an emergency.

      Remember that the emergency vehicle may one day be trying to get to your house that

      is on fire with your family trapped inside, or your family car in an accident with your

      children injured.  So  please don’t slow it down or hinder its progress!