With the holiday season coming up, it is important to be aware that more accidents are likely to happen on our roads, more fires could occur with the heatwave and increased drunk BBQs.
It’s a common occurrence for Emergency Vehicles such as ambulance, fire service and police to blast their sirens and flash their lights on their way to a critical incident which requires emergency assistance. But what do you do when you hear and see the vehicle approaching you? You may know the rules, but being a witness to such a situation it is clear that many people do not know what to do.
The incident seems to out people in a panic and do silly things on the road. Well panic no more, for we are here to set the rules straight so you’ll feel confident next time the ambos come barreling through.
Stay calm
Do not make sudden lane changes or brake without warning. Look around and make sure it is safe to stop or pull over into the other lane. You don’t want to cause another accident. When it is safe, move out of the way of the emergency vehicle.
Pull over to the left side of the road
Once its safe to move out of the way, pull over onto the left side so that the emergency vehicle has room to get through.
If you are on a narrow street, or a suburban street, pull over onto the left or on the shoulder if it is safe. Once the emergency vehicle passes, you can start moving again.
Emergency vehicle always has right of way
An emergency vehicle always has the priority right of way. If you have a green light, you must allow the emergency vehicle through the light before you resume driving through.
It is important not to try to get through the light quickly as the emergency vehicle could be driving at a reasonably fast speed and you want to avoid a collision.
Remember that if they have their lights and sirens on, it is always their right of way.
Road rules still apply
While some people do their best to get out of the way, sometimes they also break the road rules to do this. When an emergency vehicle is passing, it is still important to obey all road rules.
There are some exceptions. In some states you are permitted to go through a red light to let an emergency vehicle through, however, this does not apply in NSW so if you’ve taken a road trip this holiday season, make sure you abide by the states road rules.
So now that you know the rules, we can all drive safely on our roads this summer.
For more information about rules and emergency vehicles in Queensland visit the Queensland Government website
Till next time.