As drivers, we all share the responsibility of knowing and practicing correct driving behaviors. One of the most important rules of the road deals with yielding the right of way to emergency vehicles. When driving, you must yield the right-of-way to police cars, fire trucks, ambulances and other emergency vehicles that are sounding sirens or flashing lights. To do this:
• Remain calm and move your vehicle appropriately.
• Safely pull your vehicle to the right edge of the roadway and stop.
• If you are in the left lane, pull over into the right lane as the traffic in the lane to your right moves over.
• If you cannot move to the right because of stopped vehicles, simply move as far to the right as possible, stop and leave a clear path for the emergency vehicle.
• Remain stopped until the emergency vehicles have passed.
• If an emergency vehicle approaches while your vehicle is stopped at an intersection, do not move unless you can move to the right without blocking the intersection.
• Once the emergency vehicle has passed, you must not follow within 500 feet of that vehicle.
By practicing these correct driving behaviors, seconds, and even minutes, can be dropped from the time it takes an emergency vehicle to reach its destination. Drive safely and be aware.
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