AMBULANCE SPEEDS

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 170, 20 July 1934, Page 5

AMBULANCE SPEEDS

SAFETY ALWAYS FIRST CONVINCING DEMONSTRATION. REPLY TO CRITICISM:. "Half a million miles without a single case of personal injury resulting from a collision," is the reply of the Auckland branch of the St. John Ambulance Association to tho allegations made by members of the Otahuhu Borough Council that ambulances travelled at "terrific" speeds through the borough. Mr. S. E. Langstone, manager of the association, said that during the 13 years ho Lad been associated with the Rutland Street ambulance station the graduallyincreasing fleet of ambulances had covered almost 500',000 miles, carrying patients to and from the hospitals. There had never been an accident resulting from speeding. "We never drive our ambulances actually fast unless the life or the welfare of the patient is at stake," ho said. "They are all fitted with powerful hydraulic brakes that are constantly adjusted, and can pull up in about half the distance of the average car. If an ambulance goes through the city at 25 miles an hour people imagine it is going much faster, because of its distinctive grey colouring and the fact that one associates speed with an ambulance or a fire engine. Our drivers are constantly on the "watch when they are driving and are probably more mentally alert than most drivers. They see so many people terribly injured as the result of road accidents that they are m«e fully aware of the risk of dangerous driving than anyone else, and they are not likely to take risks that would involve them in similar catastrophes. They also know that they are liable to instant dismissal i? the slightest lack «f care is proved against their driving.

Practice in Other Countries. "New Zealand is practically the only country in*the world where ambulances do not enjoy absolute right of way on the public highways. In America and Australia they arc fitted with sirens similar to those used on the lire ennrines, and there is no restriction at all as regards pseed. Motorists and others who get in their way are held to blame and are severely punished by law." Mr. Langstone said that ambulance services were a humane work; they saved life and prevented undue suffering by getting the patient to a hospital where medical attention could bo given in the shortest possible time. In many cases it was only a matter of time if/a man's life was to be saved. Fire engines travelled at a very much greater speed, and had greater rights on the roads than ambulances in New Zealand, but in most cases they were travelling to save something that was replaceable with money. A man could not bo replaced and it seemed only logical that a service that catered for humanity rather than property should enjoy equal if not greater privileges. Duty to Perform. "I want to make it quite clear," said Mr. Langstone, "that I am not in favour of speeding, but we have a duty to perform and we conscientiously endeavour to carry it out. It is only in cases where we have had special intructidhs from a doctor or other responsible person that the patient must urgently be taken to a hospital that we permit speeds above the usual pace. After all, our ambulances are built on truck chassis, and if the speed exceeded 40 miles an hour the body would vibrate, and that would be harmful to the patient." Referring to the construction of the ambulances, Mr. Langstone said that they were leading the world in up-to-date design. Dr. Colquhoun, of Paris, the New Zealand representative at the Keel Cross conferences at Geneva, who was in Auckland some months ago, said that they were ahead of anything in Europe and he had asked permission to submit details of them to the next conference. Misleading "Scream." To prove his statements regarding the speed and braking power of the ambulances Mr. Lingstone took a "Star" reporter for a demonstration run. After travelling up Symonds Street at a steady 25 miles an hour a stop was made, and several pedestrians who had seen the.

ambulance pass were asked at what speed they thought it had passed them. The lowest estimation was 30 miles an hour, while one man, who looked very knowing, said "about forty." Speeding up the ambulance to 30 miles an hour, which would be the average speed for aii urgent case in the city or suburbs, Mr. Langstone applied the brakes. Without the slightest jolt the big vehicle slid to an abrupt stop." The four heavy low-pressure tyres had held the road and the marks showed that the brakes had been applied to all four with equal pressure. The stopping distance at 30 miles an hour had been the length of the vehicle, less than loft, the marks of the back wheels stopping where the front had begun. The wheel marks were perfectly straight, with no sign of a skid. On the way back Mr! Langstone dre>v attention to the tendency for the balloon tyres to "scream" on the corners at low

speeds, which only occurred with hard tyres at high speeds. This was inclined to give inexperienced bystanders the impression of speed, but on turning a corner with the accompanying whine of the. tyres the speed was noted to be only 15 miles an hour. In conclusion, Mr. Langstono remarked that if the councillors who had criticised ambulance speeds were themselves waiting for one to come for them or a member of their family who was seriously injured and in need of immediate hospital treatment they would be the first to alter their views and criticise the slowness of the ambulance service. "However," he concluded, "we will continue to carry out the service in the best interests of all concerned, and I think that at the end of a further term of office of 13 years I will be able to report something like 1,000,000 miles' work without an accident."