Blippie
2004-04-08 13:51:22 UTC
A Midlands ambulance service yesterday claimed speed bumps potentially put
more lives at risk than they saved.
Staffordshire paramedics said the placing of speed humps dramatically slowed
down ambulances on residential streets and had a "detrimental" impact on
emergency call-outs.
Three speedbumps meant up to a minute's delay and in cases were it was
suspected that a patient had suffered a heart attack this could be the
difference between life and death, said one paramedic.
A spokesman for Staffordshire Ambulance Service said: "Ambulance paramedics
are becoming increasingly concerned that measures taken to prevent road
accidents are having a far greater detrimental impact on their ability to
save lives and are potentially putting at risk far more lives than the
measures are intended to save."
One ambulance paramedic who was concerned about the possible delay caused by
speed humps, said: "I estimate that three speed humps in a road delays an
emergency ambulance by one minute, in life threatening emergency calls
seconds count if a live is to be saved. All we ask is that whilst we
support and applaud action to cut deaths or injuries from road accidents, it
reality for us a small amount of our emergency calls, could the authorities
not also take into account the overwhelming number of calls to life
threatening medical calls which they may in unconsciously be endangering by
potentially slowing down emergency ambulance responses."
Full story:
http://tinyurl.com/25jf8
more lives at risk than they saved.
Staffordshire paramedics said the placing of speed humps dramatically slowed
down ambulances on residential streets and had a "detrimental" impact on
emergency call-outs.
Three speedbumps meant up to a minute's delay and in cases were it was
suspected that a patient had suffered a heart attack this could be the
difference between life and death, said one paramedic.
A spokesman for Staffordshire Ambulance Service said: "Ambulance paramedics
are becoming increasingly concerned that measures taken to prevent road
accidents are having a far greater detrimental impact on their ability to
save lives and are potentially putting at risk far more lives than the
measures are intended to save."
One ambulance paramedic who was concerned about the possible delay caused by
speed humps, said: "I estimate that three speed humps in a road delays an
emergency ambulance by one minute, in life threatening emergency calls
seconds count if a live is to be saved. All we ask is that whilst we
support and applaud action to cut deaths or injuries from road accidents, it
reality for us a small amount of our emergency calls, could the authorities
not also take into account the overwhelming number of calls to life
threatening medical calls which they may in unconsciously be endangering by
potentially slowing down emergency ambulance responses."
Full story:
http://tinyurl.com/25jf8