One more driving post RE:Emergency Vehicles

I'll add one more gripe to the way people are driving these days...

When I took Driver's Ed some 20+ years ago, I'm pretty sure I remember learning one is to pull to the right and come to a complete stop when an emergency vehicle approaches with its lights and siren going. I wonder if that is still the case?

Yesterday. Four lane road without a median, just a yellow line. Ambulance is in oncoming traffic with siren and lights. I pull over to the right and stop. I saw the ambulance coming quite a bit ahead of me, so I didn't stop immediately, but the ambulance was probably a city block out in front of me headed towards me when I stopped. I was driving a mid-sized car, so it wasn't like I was in a great big truck that people couldn't see around me. At least 3 people passed me and kept right on driving! I guess they were in a bigger hurry than the ambulance!

I know it was four lanes, but I understand the rule to be the same and I have had folks pass me on a two lane road in the same situation. I don't pull over and stop on a divided 4 lane road (like the interstate with a median) in the same situation. Am I wrong?

Nope, that's what I was taught.

Still the law here in Michigan.

that's what Ill rules of the road says

I did a quick search and found that the "Laws" that I read are for
"When an emergency vehicle approaches you from behind".

"Emergency Vehicles
As we go about our daily business, we are watched over by law
enforcement, fire rescue and emergency medical teams. We need to be
aware as drivers what to do when one of these emergency vehicles
approaches. The Number One rule is, when you hear or see an emergency
vehicle of any type approaching from the rear, pull as far to the right
as possible and stop!"

Although, I do think if you are on 2 lane road, in an intersection, you
should pull over to the right.- Edit: as the emergency approaches you.
Poke here

Here's a scenario I love: there is an ambulance or other emergency vehicle with lights and siren 10 cars behind me, and I pull over along with the string of cars. As soon as the ambulance passes, the BMW 4 cars back comes screaming out to get around me and the other cars in front of him. Occasionally it is an obnoxious straight-piped diesel pickup instead of a BMW.

FWIW, I found this in the Kansas Driving handbook....

"When an emergency vehicle is coming toward you or approaches from behind and is displaying flashing red lights and/or sounding a siren. Immediately drive to the right and stop without blocking
any intersection. K.S.A. 8-1530"

JDNewbie- Thanks!

In the Statute you listed I did not see any reference to your
quote..."When an emergency vehicle is coming toward you or approaches
from behind and is displaying flashing red lights and/or sounding a
siren. Immediately drive to the right and stop without blocking".

Maybe I overlooked/misunderstood where you saw that.



Statute Number: 8-1530
Chapter Title: AUTOMOBILES AND OTHER VEHICLES
Article Title: UNIFORM ACT REGULATING TRAFFIC; RULES OF THE ROAD
Tax Type: Vehicles
Brief Description: Duty of driver upon approach of authorized
emergency
vehicle.
Keywords:

Body:

8-1530. Duty of driver upon approach of authorized emergency vehicle.
(a) Upon the immediate approach of an authorized emergency vehicle
making use of an audible signal meeting the requirements of subsection
(d) of K.S.A. 8-1738, and amendments thereto, and visual signals
meeting the requirements of K.S.A. 8-1720, and amendments thereto, or
of a police vehicle properly and lawfully making use of an audible
signal only, the driver of every other vehicle shall do the following
unless otherwise directed by a police officer:
(1) Yield the right-of-way;
(2) immediately drive to a position parallel to and as close as
possible to the right-hand edge or curb of the roadway clear of any
intersection; and
(3) stop and remain in such position until the authorized emergency
vehicle has passed.
(b) The driver of a motor vehicle upon approaching a stationary
authorized emergency vehicle, when the authorized emergency vehicle is
making use of visual signals meeting the requirements of K.S.A. 8-1720,
and amendments thereto, or subsection (d) of K.S.A. 8-1722, and
amendments thereto, shall do either of the following:
(1) If the driver of the motor vehicle is traveling on a highway that
consists of at least two lanes that carry traffic in the same direction
of travel as that of the driver's motor vehicle, the driver shall
proceed with due caution and, if possible and with due regard to the
road, weather and traffic conditions, shall change lanes into a lane
that is not adjacent to that of the stationary authorized emergency
vehicle; or
(2) if the driver is not traveling on a highway of a type described in
paragraph (1), or if the driver is traveling on a highway of that type
but it is not possible to change lanes or if to do so would be unsafe,
the driver shall proceed with due caution, reduce the speed of the
motor vehicle and maintain a safe speed for the road, weather and
traffic conditions.
(c) From and after the effective date of this act and prior to July 1,
2001, a law enforcement officer shall issue a warning citation to
anyone violating the provisions of subsection (b).
(d) This section shall not operate to relieve the driver of an
authorized emergency vehicle from the duty to drive with due regard for
the safety of all persons using the highway.

That's what I was always taught, but I also use common sense in regard to seeing how traffic is before doing anything. In other words if there is heavy traffic on my side of the road, and there is a wide open lane, or two, on the other side, there really is no reason to stop. The way I see it, the way folks are now days when it comes to driving the act of stopping in the middle of the road, or even off to the side, is more likely to cause problems, up to and including an accident, than not stopping ever would.

Now if I see the emergency vehicle is going to have to get around traffic in the other lane, or would otherwise need my side of the road in any way, then I will definitely get out of the way.

The only time I haven't practiced this is at a 5 way intersection in VA, about twenty years ago. I'm the only vehicle on the leg of the intersection where I am, and I'm setting at a red light. I'm in one of the middle lanes, and the road is 4 lanes wide. In front of me several of the other legs have green lights, and cars are moving through the intersection from each of them.

In other words I'm sitting still, with traffic moving around in front of me, and if I go forward, through the red light, I take a chance of getting hit. Given that I'm on a 4 lane road, with no cars on either side of me, there was plenty of room to go around me.

Now what happens is this female (((yes I looked, not trying to be stereotypical here )))) fire truck driver comes flying up right behind me siren blaring, slams on brakes, and comes to a complete stop. She then starts blowing the air horn to the point I'm surprised she had any pressure left in the air system. This left me with a choice, sit there, or roll out in the middle of the intersection, with cars still moving, and take a chance on getting hit. Needless to say I chose to sit right there. The idiot driving the fire truck sat right there too, blowing her horn at me, until the light changed. At that point I was actually able to pull safety into the intersection, and out from in front of her. She then proceeded to floor it, and go around me, and make a right turn onto one of the 5 legs, that would have made going around my right side a much better choice to begin with.

You have no idea how close I came to following that truck and giving the idiot female driving a royal butt chewing. Unfortunately I didn't have time to do that, nor did I think to get the number off the rig to call in with later.

What she did was about as wrong as she could do. She had ample room to go around me, but instead wanted to force me into an active intersection ahead of her. That is just wrong, and I was not about to put myself, and someone in another vehicle, at risk, because of her stupidity.

Beyond that, I always yield to emergency vehicles. Having seen what happened when my Mom got hit, as a pedestrian, years ago, I know for a fact that there are many times when seconds count. However, again, I am not going to knowingly put myself at risk because the driver of one of those emergency vehicles is an idiot. If anything happens as a result, it's on them, not on me......

Since there were 4 lanes and plenty of room for the EV to pass by without interference, I suggest that pulling over and stopping is a bit of overkill. There have been a number of times that I have been tempted to start taking down names and numbers of EV drivers.
One day, I was stopped in the left lane of a one-way street waiting to turn left. Along comes a paramedic vehicle without lights or siren activated. The idiot pulls up behind me (right lane was unoccupied) and starts blasting the siren. I just rolled down the window and gave him the finger. Why? Because he had PLENTY of room to pass me on the right, was going STRAIGHT versus my left turn, and was plain being stupid and overstepping his authority. Other times, I have followed EVs (not intentionally - they were just going the same route as I was) and observed them pulling into a donut shop or parking area to chat with their pals - turn off the lights and siren, and just sit there. Apparently no emergency call - just misuse of emergency equipment. More than once I have seen police cars come up to a red light, turn on their emergency lights, go through the red light, and then turn off the emergency lights. Hmmmmmmm........ makes me wonder who is policing the police? Eh?

4 lane you pull to the right lane if it is coming up from behind you you do not stop but slow. Any more stopping can cause more accidents which in turn causes more problems. 2 lane if come form behind you yes pull over if you can but in some place you can not do so so you speed up till you can pull over safely. The CDL manual says a whole lot more or did back when I took the last test some 20 years ago about how to do thing in that case safely

The actual laws probably vary a bit on that from place to place but the general idea is that you move over and get out of the way. That goes for emergency vehicles approaching you from the opposite direction as well as from behind.
One thing you should keep in mind is that you get a lot of adrenaline junkies driving fire engines at times and some of them are not shy to forcibly take the lane... so bear in mind that their 15 tons of steel and water will flatten you whether or not they're in the right or in the wrong... so just move over.
The ones I hate are at intersections of major highways and they will not yield to the emergency vehicle for any reason...

Rod

this happened to me when driving a fire engine to an alarm--i had lights and sirens going--2 cars ahead of me--the first one pulls over to the side and the second one does the same--just when i am about to pass them the second car whips out and clips my front bumper.said he never saw or heard me. I average about 175 runs a year in fire engines--you just never know what other drivers will do and many panic and do crazy things---I have had cars in a left turn only lane and my thru lane is open as i approach the left turn car shoots over to the right shoulder right in front of me.

Ive always pulled over and stopped, of course Im mostly in smaller towns. First thing I do before I pull over is put my blinker on then they know where Im going to be going. My dad pulled over and stopped in a town of over 150,000 when most other people didn't AND didn't even get out of the way. The driver of the emergency vehicle nodded and waved as he went by.

With over 20 years of driving a police car I could go on for hours! The big thing is for folks to try to SAFELY move to a position the EV can get by in. I've seen crashes caused by people who panicked. Same for folks driving around crashes or fires. I've seen several accidents by rubber neckers.

It's the dreaded "crainial-rectal inversion" in play every time.

Read what it says about stopping for a school bus loading children on a divided street. It would seem to come as a surprise for 99% of the drivers.

You did it by the book. At least that"s what I do . Get the heck outa the way .