Have you ever been riding in a car when an emergency vehicle zooms past with lights flashing and siren blaring? Have you seen an emergency vehicle stopped on the side of the road to provide help or enforce a law?
Emergency vehicles and the people who operate them help to keep us all safe. Emergency vehicles include fire trucks, ambulances, police cars, and tow trucks. These vehicles usually carry first responders to medical emergencies, road crises, and fire rescues or other emergencies. The people in these vehicles need to get where they’re going pretty quickly. It could mean saving lives or property. Whether it’s moving or stopped, if an emergency vehicle has its lights flashing, drivers should follow certain rules of the road.
Drivers should always “move right for sirens or lights.” You may have seen a sentence like this on a car or road sign. It means that when an emergency vehicle comes speeding along the road, other cars should pull over to the right and stop. This provides a clear path so the emergency vehicle can quickly get to its destination. There might be more than one emergency vehicle, so drivers should make sure all have passed before moving again.
Most states have what are known as “Move Over Laws.” These laws apply to emergency vehicles that are stopped on the side of a road. Move Over Laws require drivers to move over or change lanes to give emergency vehicles more room. The laws also require drivers to slow down and be prepared to stop when they see a stopped emergency vehicle. Moving over or stopping could save a life.
As a passenger in a car, you can help too. Don’t distract the driver. Always stay calm and alert. If you notice an emergency vehicle, inform the driver quickly and calmly. The people who operate emergency vehicles work to keep all of us safe. It’s important that we do everything we can to help them.
What Do You Think? What are some other things you can do to help keep roads safe for everyone?
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