Please read this if you see my ambulance approaching...

I've just done three 12 hour day shifts. Tonight and tomorrow night I'll be doing two further 12 hour shifts. It's not the hours that is the problem, its the attitudes of other roadusers when I'm driving to a job on an emergency...

For those of you who get a bit nervous (and there are quite a few of you!), when you see an ambulance approaching whilst you are driving, please take the following advice:

1. Give us some clue that you have actually seen us approaching your vehicle in your rear view mirrors - either brake and pull over carefully or use your indicator to show that you are giving way
2. We treat red traffic lights as a give way and can only proceed if the traffic is stationary - that means it would be nice if you could actually stop to let us through!
3. We hate the sight and sound our own vehicles make when on an emergency call - we don't put the noise and light show on for no reason. PLEASE do not feign ignorance of the fact that we have been trying to overtake and get past you for the last quarter of a mile.
4. Drivers who either try to speed in our wake behind us or who try to outtrun us by speeding up ahead of us are a bit annoying (aren't I polite?!)
5. We don't park in the middle of narrow streets deliberately - we're not trying to annoy other motorists - it's just that it would be nice to get access to our side doors and rear ramp (which requires 15ft clearence space) without bashing other parked vehicles.

Be nice to us friendly ambulance crews - who knows, you might need us oneday...