'Just a delay of a minute or two can really make a difference between life and death': Medical supervisor

Being a paramedic is a passion for Michelle Bessas. The medical supervisor with the city of Winnipeg enjoys helping people at their most vulnerable.

But when she’s behind the wheel rushing to a call, the path to her patients is not only difficult, but drivers can make it dangerous.

“This is a good example of what not to do,” Bessas says as we weave our way through traffic, driving to a call. “Just sort of move over to the left and the right and anywhere.”

It’s Friday afternoon. Bessas has already helped about six patients that day. About four kilometres away, another one needs help.

Even though the white SUV’s sirens are at full tilt, more than 20 oncoming vehicles didn’t pull over in the first stretch. About three minutes later, she approaches a red car from behind. The driver hits the brakes, blocking her path. Eventually the driver pulls to the right as they should, but other cars clog the lane. Some move but in the process, create a barrier.

At the intersection a few mere meters away, drivers hesitate. They’re not sure what to do and this creates delays.

“Just a delay of a minute or two can really make a difference between life and death or between a full recovery and permanent disability,” Bessas said.

Failing to pull over when an emergency vehicle with its lights and sirens on is trying to pass could land you a $299.65 ticket and two demerits.

Police don’t know how many drivers are failing to stop for emergency vehicles. Their records combine those offences with drivers ticketed for not pulling over soon enough when they’re being stopped for speeding. Both offences violate Section 132 of the Highway Traffic Act. But the numbers do show a lack of enforcement.

“When it’s an emergency, your priority is to get to where you’re going. If you happen to have a vehicle that’s in front of you, you take the plate down. You can follow up with it at a later time,” Sgt. Paul Manaigre said, a spokesperson with Manitoba RCMP.

Winnipeg police have ticketed 17 people for this offence in the last five years. A Winnipeg Police Service spokesperson said when police are on their way to an emergency, stopping these drivers is not their priority.

In 2016, RCMP charged 75 people and so far this year they’ve ticketed 55 people.

“So I’m guessing based on the numbers if many of times these infractions aren’t being followed up on. Police are now moving on to the next file that they’re needed on,” Sgt. Manaigre said.

While most RCMP vehicles in Manitoba do have dash cameras, fire trucks in Winnipeg do not.

“They’re now putting cameras on school buses. Maybe that’s what we need to do,” said Alex Forrest, President of United Fire Fighters of Winnipeg, “Put cameras on the fronts of fire trucks so we can video tape some of these examples.”

Forrest doesn’t want police to ticket more people, but he believes the public needs to be more aware of how their driving can hinder an emergency crew’s ability to get where they need to go.

“The wrong thing is to slam on your brakes and just stay put. The wrong thing is to turn into your lefthand lane or try to climb up on a boulevard or simply try to speed up and beat us,” said Bessas.

“The correct thing is to slow down, move to the right and stop. And don’t start going again until everybody has passed…We all have families that we need to get home to and we want to get home safely as well.”