Emergency Vehicles

An emergency vehicle out on the road is just another vehicle if it displays no flashing lights nor sounds a siren. Once you hear a siren, though, or see any flashing lights, the situation changes. If you encounter an emergency vehicle with lights or sirens, be it police, fire, or ambulance, pull over to the curb or the right side of the road and stay in place until the vehicle passes by. Be aware also that the direction of the approach does not matter. Pull over if the emergency responder approaches from behind or from the front. Obviously, you want to signal and make sure your path to the side of the road is clear. Once the vehicle has passed, signal, check your path, and pull back out into traffic. And one more handy tip: Usually, if there is one emergency responder, more will follow within minutes. Stay extra alert until you are sure there are no more emergency vehicles passing through the area. If you happen to be at an intersection and an emergency responder approaches from behind, pull to the curb if you can. If the traffic is too congested for anyone to move over, pull out into the intersection when safe and turn; then move over to the side of the road. Once the emergency vehicle has cleared the area, get back to your normal route. It is illegal to follow closer than 500 feet behind any emergency vehicle responding to a call. It is also dangerous. Never follow an emergency responder to gain an advantage in traffic.