Lights and Sirens

Motorists, do you know how to react when you see an emergency vehicle approaching? Most do not.

The law is very specific about how to respond to an approaching emergency vehicle:

PULL TO THE RIGHT AND STOP

It seems that many motorists either do not know this is required of them, or are caught unaware when an emergency vehicle approaches. Loud stereos, talking on cell phones, and other distractions may prevent a driver from noticing an approaching emergency vehicle.

Drivers will sometimes slow down, but not stop, as an emergency vehicle approaches or, worse still, may not even notice it until it has gone past.

Given the improvements in the equipment used on emergency vehicles today, however, I am at a loss to understand how one would not notice them. They are festooned with multiple halogen, strobe, and/or LED lights which provide more dazzle than a Las Vegas casino marquee.

As a former first responder, both here and in Hamilton, I have worked with Police, Fire and Ambulance personnel. We have shared stories of those drivers who did not know how to react, or reacted badly to approaching emergency vehicles. Here are a few I have witnessed:

• I watched a fire truck approach a car at a red light (on a street with a centre median strip) with sirens wailing and air-horn blaring, and the car did not move. I had to get out of my vehicle and go over and tell the driver to move through the intersection so the fire truck could pass.

• While riding with two officers from the Traffic Division we responded to a traffic accident with injuries in the downtown area. As we approached an intersection, with lights and siren on, a pick-up heading in the same direction made a left turn in front of us.

• While attending to a pedestrian who had been struck by a pick-up truck, I looked up to see the ambulance coming southbound on GNR. A car made a left turn in front of the ambulance as it moved into the oncoming lane to overtake the southbound traffic that was not pulling over.

In fairness, I will say that I have witnessed drivers respond appropriately. Only Tuesday I watched a driver abandon his attempt to turn left into the Tim Horton’s on John Street and instead pull into the church parking lot to permit an ambulance to pass.

More often, however, this is not what happens.

Here’s some tips on what to do, from the MTO website:

On a two-lane road…
Signal and move to the right edge of the road, clear of any intersection, and stop.

On a one-way street…
Signal move to the right or left side of the road (whichever is closest), clear of any intersections, and stop.

At intersections…
All traffic must yield to an emergency vehicle until it passes through the intersection. Never block the intersection. Abandon a left turn if an emergency vehicle is approaching from behind and proceed straight through the intersection, then move to the right edge of the road, and stop.

Remember…
• React promptly, but not suddenly. Pull to the right and gradually come to a stop.

• Check your rear-view mirrors, and look in front and on both sides of your vehicle. Allow room for other vehicles to also pull over.

• Wait for the emergency vehicle to pass and watch for more than one emergency vehicle. Check to make sure the way is clear, and signal before merging back into traffic.

• Volunteer Fire Fighters may display a flashing green light when using their own vehicles to respond to a fire. Although not required by law, drivers may yield the right-of-way as a courtesy.

excerpted from Seconds Can Save A Life

Whether an emergency vehicle is coming toward you or approaching from behind, you cannot be sure of its destination. It may pass by you, or it may need to turn and you might be in the way. By pulling to the side of the road and coming to a complete stop, you allow the driver to proceed safely.

That emergency vehicle — Police, Fire, or Ambulance — may be responding to an emergency at your home, or the home of a relative or friend. The few seconds you take to allow an emergency vehicle to pass could mean the difference between life and death.

Remember, too, that the law requires that when you approach an emergency vehicle stopped in the same direction of travel with its red lights flashing, you must slow down and pass with caution. Failure to do so can result in a possible fine, demerit points, jail sentence, and/or suspension of your license.

More info: Approaching Emergency Vehicles