A5 in Dordon where drivers are putting life's at risk

West Midlands Ambulance Service are appealing to drivers on the busy stretch of the A5 in Dordon to take more notice of warning lights outside an ambulance station.

Drivers are being urged to be vigilant after cres have been forced to take action to avoid drivers who have ignored the ’stop’ lights as they travel through Dordon.

This problem has got worst in recent months, mening that rapid response vehicles cannot leave the station safely, putting life’s at risk as they can’t get to incidents as quickly as hoped due to the safety concerns.

Signs warning you on the A5

Aston Watkins, Group Station Manager for West Midlands Ambulance Service said:

“When an emergency vehicle is called to attend a 999 call, the lights are switched on at the station to stop the traffic on the A5. The lights are activated and stay on for around 60 seconds. This 60 seconds can be vital time saved for crews on blue lights and sirens to exit the station and make their way to the emergency as quickly and safely as possible.

“Unfortunately, over the last few months a lot more incidents have been reported by staff where drivers are ignoring the red lights and carrying on down the road, regardless of the exiting emergency vehicle. This is extremely dangerous for both the ambulance crew and the occupants of the car as a serious accident could easily occur. Unfortunately this also means that ambulance crews may not get to emergencies as quickly as they would like.

“Road signs warning of the red and amber lights are situated on both sides of the dual carriageway a significant distance before the actual lights.  Drivers are therefore pre warned that the lights are there and could come on at any time.

“Warwickshire Police have been informed of the increasing problem as ignoring the red flashing lights is not only very dangerous but also delays an ambulance getting to an emergency call, which could be someone who is in cardiac arrest or has suffered life threatening injuries.

Police have been made aware of the situation with Inspector Robin Clifton, from Warwickshire Police said;

“We are aware of the issues experienced on the A5 by ambulance crews exiting the ambulance station with the warning lights on red. This is extremely dangerous and we would urge motorists to comply with the traffic lights at all times. Ignoring the lights is a serious breach of road safety and could result in tragic consequences.  Any driver found ignoring these lights could expect to be prosecuted.”

Warning signs can be seen along the stretch of A5 between the M42 island and Dordon, so drivers have no excuse to miss the signals.  Life’s are at risk with reckless driving like this.