I don't know any ambulance of fire engine drivers and the two police I questioned looked at me like I was insane but I have a question. In driver's education we were taught to pull over and let police and fire go by, I try to do this but: What happens if you are at a red stop light and they are directly behind you do you bust the light and pull out of their way? I have been headed south on 13 and an emergency vehicle is coming up from behind and I can't get over to the right to let them go around me. What is the legal and what is the emergency drivers preferance?
This is one questions I have had and many others may have questions about proper procedures involving anything from talking to a mortgage company to going in front of the historical commission. The general public could have question of the week with a legal comment and then for lack of a better term audience participation.
Thanks for your time and energy. If your ever coming over to Smith Street let me know and I'll buy you a beer or something, the door is open.
Ben
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
10 comments:
Maryland Law requires that you pull to the nearest curb not neccessarly the right. Most police/fire prefer you to pull to the right so that they may pass in the so called fast lane. If you are at a red light and a emergency vehicle is approaching from the rear, procced far enough into the intersection using caution to allow the emergency vehicle to pass you. Once they pass if conditions permit clear the intersection.
I've seen people go left and right to get out of the way in that situation. I think if you inch rather slowly to the side (whichever side has more space), you're doing the right thing.
Oh, tell Edna I say hi.
As someone who has driven an ambulance, I would prefer you pull out of the way, in such a way that it does not put you in danger. Which side you pull to doesn't matter to me, as long as I would have a clear path through. If you are unable to move because of traffic, then so be it. It is not worth causing an accident to get a patient to the hospital. Hopefully the crossing traffic will realize the emergency vehicle and stop to let you move out of the way and the emergency vehicle by.
Most cops have been trained in emergency driving and are aware that the siren must be on in order to be an "emergency vehicle", and even when that is the case, they must use due care in order to not cause accidents/injuries. Salisbury Firefighters on the other hand, who by the way have a LAW ENFORCEMENT retirement that they don't deserve, a new station that cost twice as much as it was supposed to and who do 1/3 the work that a city cop does - they are usually the ones screaming down Rt.13 in a multi-ton engine driving recklessly. Often they don't even have their sirens on. These guys go balls to the wall everywhere, regardless of if it is a true emergency. They also send an engine out on calls that a lone ambulance could handle. Padding their stats. Keep letting SFD drain the City's coffers while your underpaid, understaffed, underequipped cops let the rapping gangsters from YouTube take over. Oh, and get the hell out of the way when SFD comes through. Pull to the side? You'd better run like the wind, cuz they're not stoppin!
Maryland Law does not require you to do anything for an approaching emergency vehicle. The lights and sirens on the emergency vehicle are letting you know they are there and are ASKING you to take safe action to allow them to pass. The emergency driver has training and legal exemptions that you don't have. Creeping into an intersection causes more risk of another accident, something that noone wants. If an emergency vehicle goes through a red light, they will not get ticketed...you will. It is recommended that if you are at an intersection stopped and an emergency vehicle approaches and you have nowhere to safey go, stay where you go and allow the ambulance to get around you.
That being said, as a good citizen, I will take my chances and move into the intersection to allow the ambulance to pass if there is no other way to get by.
Creep over to the far right of the shoulder if you can.
Dogg 12:05 brings ups some good points....THEY ARE ASKING FOR THE RIGHT OF WAY.
HOWEVER, that being said, remember that if YOU cause the accident in the intersection (due to the lights and sirens behind you) tough luck! It's your fault and you get to pay to fix everything. End of story.
As far as not being ticketed because it is an emergency vehicle, that is incorrect. Although the VECHICLE does not get a ticket... the driver does! I know this to be fact from OCVFC!!
What a lot of the volunteers and paid folks do not realize is that if there is an accident and the Fire Company (ambulance, etc.) does not have enough insurance, guess who gets to pay if it is proven negligence? YOU!
Some of these folks driving have to learn the hard way. Others, well they're a bit more cautious.
If you HAVE a safe place to pull into, do so with caution. If not, stay RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE. There are lawyers out there who make their livings chasing drivers like some on here who claim to the judge "Your Honor, I'm sorry! I THOUGHT I had to get out of his way! It's not my fault!!! He MADE me move!!!!"
Dogg, MD Law DOES in fact require a motorist to yield upon the approach of an emergency vehicle. Here is a copy of the Transportation Article. 21-405.
Hope this helps…
§21–405.
(a) On the immediate approach of an emergency vehicle using audible and visual signals that meet the requirements of § 22-218 of this article or of a police vehicle lawfully using an audible signal, the driver of every other vehicle, unless otherwise directed by a police officer, shall yield the right-of-way.
(b) On the immediate approach of an emergency vehicle using audible and visual signals that meet the requirements of § 22-218 of this article or of a police vehicle lawfully using an audible signal, the driver of every other vehicle, unless otherwise directed by a police officer, shall drive immediately to a position parallel to and as close as possible to the edge or curb of the roadway, clear of any intersection.
(c) On the immediate approach of an emergency vehicle using audible and visual signals that meet the requirements of § 22-218 of this article or of a police vehicle lawfully using an audible signal, the driver of every other vehicle, unless otherwise directed by a police officer, shall stop and stay in this position until the emergency vehicle has passed.
(d) A driver, when proceeding in the same direction as an emergency or police vehicle, may not pass an emergency vehicle using audible and visual signals that meet the requirements of § 22-218 of this article or a police vehicle lawfully using an audible signal unless:
(1) The emergency vehicle has stopped; or
(2) Otherwise directed by a police officer.
(e) This section does not relieve the driver of an emergency vehicle from the duty to drive with due regard for the safety of all persons.
As someone who routinely operates a police vehicle, I suggest that you move to the right. There are many times when I am running with light and siren on Rt. 50 in the "fast" lane. For some reason people slow to a crawl in front of me then pull into the median. This is extremely frustrating when they could simply move to the "slow" lane. Not to mention after I pass they are stuck in the median and cannot safely yield back into traffic.
Ok, some of you took what I said wrong. The question was not is there was a way to move into the slow lane. The question was if you are stopped at an intersection with vehicles to your right, what do you do?
Anon says that you have to yield the right of way. No problem there. There is nothing in the quote that says you have to move into the intersection. Yielding the right of way does not always mean that you have to move your vehicle in any direction. In fact, most of the time it means that yuo wait until another vehicle takes their right of way. If you move your vehicle into the intersection, you will be responsible for any accident or even violations that happen. An emergency vehicle will be no excuse in court.
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