Man On RE Himalayan Refuses To Make Way For Ambulance Taking Child To Hospital - Also In Kerala!
It is basic civic sense to prioritize emergency service vehicles like ambulances and fire trucks when we are out on the roads. Section 194E of the Motor Vehicle Act (MV Act) mandates that all motorists yield to emergency vehicles. However, we often come across instances of violation, where drivers and riders refuse to give way to ambulances. Here's one such case. A motorcycle rider refused to give way to an ambulance headed for the nearest hospital. It had a child inside, who was reportedly fighting death.
This incident is from Kerala's Kannur. A video of it was captured (likely by the ambulance crew) and later shared online. It shows a guy riding a motorcycle ( likely a previous-generation Royal Enfield Himalayan 411) in front of the ambulance.
The emergency vehicle is clearly in a hurry and is honking continuously. The biker takes no notice and continues to ride right in front of it. At many points in the video, we can see that there is ample space for the biker to let the ambulance pass. He refuses to consider the same and rides blocking the emergency vehicle's way. The sounds of its beacon and horn fail to make him yield.
Reports say that this arrogant, inhuman act went on for a few kilometres. Now, let's talk about the patient/ victim here. The ambulance was reportedly carrying a child who had been rescued from drowning in a pond. The victim was in critical condition and was being taken to a private hospital nearby. The inhuman act by the biker should have cost the rescue team a lot of decisive time. The latest reports say that the child continues to be in critical condition.
The police have initiated a probe to track down the biker. Strict actions will be taken against him soon. In previous crackdowns, we saw similar violators being slapped with huge fines, and the violators' driving licenses (DL) being suspended. A Ciaz driver was fined 2.5 lakh rupees and his license was cancelled after he refused to give way to an ambulance.
In another case, a doctor driving a Hyundai Creta N-Line blocked an Ambulance for some distance. He was arrested after the video of this went viral. He also received a fine of Rs 5,000 for the violation.
In a third case, a woman riding a Honda Navi was seen deliberately blocking the way of an ambulance. In the crackdown that followed, she received a fine of Rs 7,000 and got her license suspended.
Ambulance Drivers Deserve More Praise And Recognition For Their Acts Of Service
The job of an ambulance driver demands utmost precision and dedication. Many incidents from the past have demonstrated the insane levels of commitment exercised by ambulance drivers. In the most recent case, we saw one being summoned at odd hours in the night after a car crashed with a mini truck, and a girl inside broke her leg. The ambulance driver in this case, had already gone to bed.
When the call came, he rushed to the scene without even changing to regular work clothes. Doing so would have cost him time. Moments lost in this case, could be fatal for the victim. On reaching the crash scene, he found the victim to have suffered a serious fracture to one of her legs.
He used his lungi to tie the broken leg to the other one (splinting) and gave proper first aid before getting her to the hospital on time. This was indeed a selfless act. Ambulance drivers are to be respected for their acts of service and as responsible citizens, we should always yield when we see a rushing emergency vehicle behind us.