Monty,
I am an EMT with a local ambulance service. About once or twice a month I am approached by people when out in uniform and I am amazed by how many questions they have about what to do when a Code 3 (emergency response) vehicle is near. Here are some of the questions I have been asked:
1. What do I do when I am stopped at a red light and a Code 3 vehicle comes up behind me? (Many people think they are supposed to run the red light to get out of our way.)
2. Do I need to pull over when I am going North on Court Street and the Code 3 vehicle is going South on Court Street? (People don’t realize we have to take on opposing traffic at times to get through congested areas or intersections.)
3. If I’m in the left lane and the right lane(s) are occupied by other motorists, can’t I just pull left and stop? (I have almost hit so many people that do this because we are trained to go left and when someone suddenly pulls left in front of you and slams on the brakes it’s very hard to get that heavy ambulance to stop.)
4. Why do I see some ambulances stopping at intersections even when they have their lights and sirens on? (Although the State law states we must slow to 15 mph, our company requires its ambulances to come to a complete stop before proceeding Code 3 through an intersection, against a light. This is just an added step our company uses to ensure safety for both crews and citizens.)
5. How come I see an ambulance going Code 3, then all of the sudden turn off its lights and sirens and pull into the Taco Bell a mile down the road? Was the crew just in a hurry to get lunch? ( I guess people don’t realize that oftentimes we are cancelled en route to a call and that we also just happen to be in need of lunch, too.)
These are just a few of the questions I’ve been asked; I’m sure you have dealt with the same situations while driving Code 3.
First let’s review what the vehicle code states regarding this topic: Upon the immediate approach of an authorized emergency vehicle which is sounding a siren and which has at least one lighted lamp exhibiting red light that is visible, under normal atmospheric conditions, from a distance of 1,000 feet to the front of the vehicle, the surrounding traffic shall, except as otherwise directed by a traffic officer, do the following:
(a) (1) Except as required under paragraph(2), the driver of every other vehicle shall yield the right-of-way and shall immediately drive to the right-hand edge or curb of the highway, clear of any intersection, and thereupon shall stop and remain stopped until the authorized emergency vehicle has passed.
(2) A person driving a vehicle in an exclusive or preferential use lane shall exit that lane immediately upon determining that the exit can be accomplished with reasonable safety.
You would think that it would be pretty simple if, in fact, whenever you heard and observed an emergency vehicle in the area, you could pull to the right edge of the roadway and stop. But that is not always the case. Responding to emergency vehicles in heavily congested areas may require some extra thought, as opposed to when driving in open highway traffic. As the operator of an emergency vehicle, as you have stated, there are many requirements that the public is unaware of.
Say you’re driving south on Interstate 5, when you observe CDF fire equipment rolling northbound with their lights and siren on. What do you do? First, what is the intent of the law that I mentioned earlier? The whole idea is to allow emergency vehicles, when operating with their emergency lights and sirens, to get to where they are going as quickly and safely as possible. Having all of the southbound traffic pull to the right, stop and remain stopped until the emergency vehicle has passed is what the statute directs, but I don’t believe that this would be the law’s intent in this scenario. There is a very large divider section between north and southbound traffic. Now, we have the green flag after the caution in a NASCAR race as everyone repositions back on the freeway. Common sense rules in this situation.
A whole different set of dynamics come into play if you are on the northbound side and observe that emergency vehicle coming up behind you. The emergency vehicle is operating in the fast lane and there are at least one or more lanes available for other traffic. The intent is once again to expedite the travel of the emergency vehicle. Moving to the far right lane and allowing the vehicle to pass is preferable.
Now, if in fact it is a law enforcement vehicle running with all its emergency lamps and sirens on and rather than passing you on the left, it pulls in behind you, this is when you quickly and as safely as you can pull to the right shoulder and stop.
If you are driving on a two-lane roadway and an emergency vehicle is approaching you either from in front or behind, “the driver shall yield the right-of-way and shall immediately drive to the right-hand edge or curb of the highway, and thereupon shall stop and remain stopped until the authorized emergency vehicle has passed.”
Back to our city driving situations. You’re stopped in traffic for a traffic signal and you hear emergency sirens and see emergency lights coming up from behind you. If you are stuck in traffic with nowhere to go, then you have nowhere to go. The operators of these emergency vehicles are trained on how to negotiate traffic, which may require driving across raised center dividers and into the opposite lane and that is why, regardless of what side of the road you are on, you need to pull to the right, if possible, and stop. Do not pull into a controlled intersection against the traffic signal, unless directed by a law enforcement officer. If you are in the intersection, then clear it as quickly and safely as you can.
The law is very specific, as I have mentioned earlier. The more important concern is that drivers are aware of their responsibility when it comes to yielding to emergency vehicles and that they use good common sense that will expedite the travels of the emergency vehicles and result in a safe experience for everyone.
So, with these refreshed rules of the road about yielding to emergency vehicles, please go out and enjoy the ride.
