Question about emergency vehicles

Common sense is the key. The idea here is to not interfere with emergency vehicles. If you are in a situation where you will interfere with them by continuing to do what you are doing, then clearly you need to get out of their way.

Otherwise, there should be no problem.

Now there is a questionable situation where you are driving on the highway at the posted speed limit, and come upon an emergency vehicle that is driving SLOWER than you are. This will usually be an old fire engine that just can't get up to speed.

In this case, if you maintain your speed and pass the emergency vehicle, you may well get a ticket for failure to yield.

Also keep in mind that LE vehicles will sometimes be out there slowing traffic down for a couple of miles or so prior to some type of problem in the road. Passing them would be rather foolish.

 

I retired 10/2010 and have drove Engine and EMS trucks 22 years. Sounds like you are doing just fine to me. Most engines will only run around 70 - 75 going down hill with a strong wind pushing. Going up hill, forget it.
If you come upon a slow moving truck with lights flashing, they may be looking for the accident scene off the roadway, slow down and give room.
What would scare the hell out of me is trying to work a scene with cars and trucks flying by at 55 - 70 - 80 mph. Its like can you people (just people in general here) not see these BRIGHT FLASHING LIGHTS FROM 1/4 mile away, SLOW THE HELL DOWN. (this is at night) To me it is just showing no respect at all and i want to run them all down and chew some butt. But, then who would take care of the patient. lol
Keep it in the road, sounds like you do have the respect and are trying to do right.

 

1. Get out of the way...... ALWAYS.
Slow down, speed up, move over.... whatever it takes.
"Life & Death" trumps everyone else's "needs".

2. You should already be moved over when approaching an onramp with ANY vehicles coming on.
Is this longtime COURTESY not common knowlege anymore?
(Geeze, what ARE they teaching the new breed in those fancy driving schools???)

 

If you see an emergency vehicle coming down the ramp, give it the lane. You don't have to do anything else unless it is overtaking you. In that case, put on your signal and move as far to the right as you can. You are not only warning other drivers of your intentions, but giving that emergency vehicle the right-of-way it is requesting with those lights and siren. This applies to limited access highways.

On two-lanes, if one is coming opposite you, put your signal on, slow down and move right. Usually, there is no need to stop. If overtaking you from the rear, same thing, only you may need t stop in order for the vehicle to pass you. Be sure the driver can see around you. If it is not safe for you to do this, at leat put your 4-ways on so the emergency driver knows you see them but don't slow down yet because you don't want to be the cork in the bottle. When you have room and it's safe to do so, yield the lane to them.

Regarding passing police officers. If I am doing no more than 3 over, I pass them. 6 or 7 over, I'll probably slow down a little and see whether I'm still moving up on them. I do not fear passing cops. They already know what I'm up to anyway and if I've caught their interest, they'll chat with me regardless of whether I pass them or not. I get irritated when a cop gets on the highway and everybody is afraid to pass him or her and cause an "idiot pack" as a result. Just keep on minding yer own and move on. Unless you're doing something stoopid, they won't even look at you. (This is from experience from the inside of a cruiser.)

 

All good answers--but remember if you see an emergency vehicle coming up the ramp in your directions--or one pulling out behind you on any road heading in the same direction you are--there is a good chance there is something very wrong up the road in fron of you--real good idea to slow down and start paying real close attention--you just might come up over a rise or around a curve and have a hell of a mess in front of you! Just my $.02

 

if you see an emergency vehicle with it's light on entering a highway, my simple rule is this. If I can safely slow do to let it merge ahead of me (four wheelers are no nicer to emergency vehicles than they are to us) I will, even if I have to hold up the traffic behind me.

If, I pass the end of the ramp he is coming down, and I'm already in the right lane, I'll stay in the right lane, if I'm in the left lane, I'll get in the right lane. He's gonna want the left lane if he's responding to a call.

Here's a scary thought for you, by law, in most states, a US Mail carrier has more of a right of way then an emergency vehicle (police, fire, ems) even if they have their lights/sirens on. Stems from laws in the 1800's about impeding the mail.

 

Never wait to see if an emergency vehicle is actually going to overtake you. IF there is one behind you, REGARDLESS of how fast they are going, yield the road in the safest manner possible. Give them the road.

 

I guess the best thing to say to everyone is, give some room and watch what we do. If we head to the left lane we may be going a few miles or the accident/problem was reported to be inside lanes. If we stay middle to the right, we may take the next exit or the accident/problem was reported to be in the outside lane. When you see us just slow down, the traffic could be piled up over the next rise in the road or around the curve.
Happy Trucking to all an keep it on the road.