Approaching Emergency Vehicles: What Should You Do?
As you are driving, there will be times when you come across emergency vehicles (ambulance, police car, etc.). According to the NY State’s Move Over Law, all drivers are required to slow down and move over, especially if an emergency vehicle is coming their way. The Move Over law should always be followed. And for beginner drivers on the road test, if you come across emergency vehicles, it is important that you stop, or else, 10 points on your road test or an automatic failure (depending on the state). We know it can be nerve-wracking for beginners to focus on their driving tasks while reacting to emergency vehicles during the road test. But we are here to help! We will break down the More Over law and show you the proper way to share the road with emergency vehicles in different situations. Read on to learn how to better prepare yourself the next time you come across emergency vehicles.
Approaching Emergency Vehicles
The More Over law requires all drivers to exercise due care to any parked, stopped or standing emergency or hazard vehicles. Emergency vehicles include fire trucks, ambulances, police cars, and others. Emergency vehicles signal their presence by displaying lights in flashing red, blue, or white, and sounding siren or air-horn. When you see the lights or hear the sounds at a distance, be prepared to pull over. You should always yield right-of-way to an emergency vehicle. Be sure to be on the lookout for additional emergency vehicles as sometimes, they travel in groups.
Here are some guidelines on how you should act when you come across emergency vehicles.
- If an emergency vehicle is approaching from behind:
Slow down and move to the right lane or edge of the curb to make room for the emergency vehicle to pass by before you proceed. Remember to check your blind spots and mirrors for other vehicles as they will also be moving to make way. You should turn on your signals to inform your maneuvers.
- If an emergency vehicle is approaching from the opposite direction:
Pull over to the side of the road and stop until safe to proceed.
- If an emergency vehicle is approaching on a one-way street:
Move to your nearest right or left side lane and pull over to stop until the emergency vehicle passes you. Remember to use your turn signal as you move and pay attention to other drivers as you reenter the traffic flow.
- If an emergency vehicle is stopping:
As you approach a stopping emergency vehicle, slow down your vehicle to move into an open lane. If traffic prohibits you from changing lanes, you must slow down and proceed with caution.
When you are sharing the road with emergency vehicles, as the driver, you may be allowed to exceed the speed limit, pass red lights, go the wrong way on one-way streets and turn in directions only when safely to do so without a penalty. However, you should consider the above when there is no other alternative to make way for an emergency vehicle.
Knowing what to do when you come across an emergency vehicle on the road is key to the road test and driving in general. Make sure you know how to identify emergency vehicles and always remember to give them the right-of-way.
If you are interested in more driving tips, visit our website at http://www.ferraridrivingschool.com/.