A DASH-CAM video showing an ambulance pulling out in front of an overtaking car has divided opinion over who was at fault.
Nic Foxton, from Skipton, North Yorkshire, captured the footage as he attempted to overtake the ambulance that had been travelling in front of him last month.
The 53-year-old had been driving along the A835 road near Leckmelm in Wester Ross in his Lotus Elise when the near miss happened.
The dash cam clip shows Nic driving along at 40mph in the left hand lane on the 60mph road behind a Scottish Ambulance Service vehicle.
He then accelerates to around 45mph before driving across to the other lane to overtake the vehicles in front.
But within seconds after he moves across the ambulance that was in front of him puts on its indicators and moves out in front of Nic’s car.
Nic is then forced to slam on his brakes to avoid crashing right into the back of the emergency vehicle.
The screeching of the brakes can be heard as the frustrated driver beeps his horn.
Speaking today Nic said: “I was on holiday, I’m a regular visitor to the area normally at least once a year.
“I was going out for the day intending to visit Gairloch. I started from Ullapool where I was staying and found myself joining the back of traffic soon after leaving Ullapool.
“I’m familiar with the road but found this was the first opportunity to pass traffic.
“I’m patient and waited till there was a clear view of the road ahead with no traffic coming the opposite way.
“Checked behind, indicated, checked again and pulled out to overtake while accelerating.
“I had plenty of opportunity to be observed while overtaking and kept the indicator on while out in the offside lane.
“As I drew up to the offside rear of the ambulance it put on its right indicator and pulled straight out into my path.
“I was forced to brake and the car slid a little but was controlled very quickly.
“I sounded the horn and decided to pull back into the safe side of the road.
“I noticed the ambulance pass the car in front and pulled back in front of it, it looked to be pretty close to clipping the front of that car.”
Nick shared the footage to Facebook yesterday captioned: “Mirror, signal,
manoeuvre…unless you’re a Scottish ambulance driver.”
Social media users were divided over who was at fault in the video.
One viewer said: “Why are you overtaking like that unless you want to see the inside of a private ambulance.
“Yes it’s clear ahead but you still can’t see far enough to be sure it’s safe.”
While one disagreed: “He waited for a safe overtake and went for it, the ambulance driver was wrong obviously he did not use his mirrors.”
Another viewer said: “The guy was probably going for the overtake anyway but obviously he didn’t accelerate as quickly as you and probably didn’t expect to be overtaken either, that said a final check is always a good thing.”
And one member of the Facebook group added: “The sports car driver isn’t actually in the wrong as much as I hate to say it.
“If he had the right indicator on and overtook then the ambulance should have waited for him to pass then overtake.
“Ambulance obviously didn’t look or the orange car didn’t indicate, the fact that the ambulance indicated after the maneuver points to not looking to his right before the maneuver.”
The Scottish Ambulance Service states on their website: “An ambulance has to obey the same traffic laws (including speed limits) as other vehicles unless it is an emergency situation.
“In an emergency an ambulance gets dispensation from obeying certain traffic laws including the speed limit.
“In an emergency it is up to the discretion of the driver to decide the best speed to get to or transport the patient to hospital while minimising the risk to other road users.
“An ambulance can only turn on its sirens in an emergency situation.
“It is then up to the discretion of the driver of the ambulance to decide when to use sirens and lights or just the lights.”
