Amherst, MA. https://www.amherstma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/24390 The Fire Appara...

LukaAl · on Nov 20, 2016

Whoa whoa whoa. You are getting it wrong. The size reported by your Amherst document is the maximum width, not the body width.

I have an idea of the importance of this distinction, and I could go at great length explaining it. But the linked document reference the AASHTO's Green book as a reference. And if that manual says that 10-foot road are ok in one chapter, and acknowledge the vehicles dimension in another, chance are that is ok. Obviously, if you think it is not, you have to demonstrate they are wrong.

Full disclosure, I know nothing about traffic engineering and I'm an average driver. This is the reason why I check expert sources and not the first document found on the internet...

to3m · on Nov 20, 2016

The "10' wide" fire engine there supposedly conforms to the AASHTO BUS-14 standard... which means 2.6m wide. (This is the widest type of vehicle in the list.) 2.6m = 102"; 102" = 8.5'.

Go figure, as they say.

Please allow me, not that you have the option or anything, to link to a previous comment of mine, which is probably appropriate: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12472990

(Maybe 10' includes the wing mirrors? 1.5' = 45cm. 22.5cm per side. Not unreasonable for lorry-size wing mirrors.)

JshWright · on Nov 20, 2016

That is a "medium duty" ambulance, and those aren't especially common (some areas use them quite heavily, but most don't).

Ambulances are generally built on pickup truck or van chassis (the Ford F350/E350 lines are popular).

Here is the model lineup of a popular ambulance manufacturer:

http://www.braunambulances.com/models/