Drivers are being warned to make sure they know how to safely get out of the way of emergency vehicles heading to emergencies.

The warning comes from East Midlands Ambulance Service, which has revealed that their drivers were involved in almost 100 road traffic accidents in just eight months during 2017 that were not the of fault of the ambulance worker.

Between April and November, 2017, ambulances from the service had made 90 non-fault insurance claims due to crashes.

Steve Farnsworth, the general manager at East Midlands Ambulance Service, has said that due to the speeds that the emergency vehicles have to travel, it is 'inevitable' that there will be some incidents.

Mr Farnsworth said: "Our vehicles drive millions of miles each year, much of the time faster than normal, so having some incidents when driving is inevitable.

"However, we are asking motorists sharing the roads with our ambulance crews to be vigilant when checking for flashing blue lights at junctions and in their mirrors.

Drivers are being warned on how to avoid emergency vehicles
Drivers are being warned on how to avoid emergency vehicles

"Each time one of our ambulances is damaged or involved in a collision, it cannot be used to respond to patients experiencing an emergency.

"By double checking for blue lights, you can help to reduce the number of collisions."

The ambulance service has asked motorists to remain vigilant when they notice blue lights in their rear windows.

Bosses have offered a series of tips on how to safely manoeuvre out of the way of the ambulance, without posing an increased threat.

Drivers are told to not brake suddenly, but to try to remain calm and give themselves plenty of time to plan out their next move on the road.

They should then begin looking for somewhere safe to pull over and stop their vehicles when it is safe to do so. However, if they find it hard to find the right place to pull over safely, they should continue to travel at the normal speed for the road.

Remember, ambulance drivers are highly trained when it comes to passing through traffic, and will find a safe place and time to overtake other drivers, he said.

When attending emergency situations, regularly more than one vehicle might go, so be weary that there might be multiple passing ambulances, so always listen out for sirens and check around you for more blue flashing lights before moving off, he said.

Absolutely never try to out-run an emergency vehicle, doing so will only potentially endanger you and others, he added.