I got a question and would like only leo responses only. Last night on the way home from the gym, I'am at major 4 way intersection waiting to make a left hand turn my light is red. The number 3 lane is wide open/clear. An ambulance comes behind me with lights & siren on, wanting me to go, keep in mind my light is still red and there is cross traffic going thru the intersection and they are not stopping either! Finally by the grace of god my light turns green and I go. As he goes by I can tell he is mad. So my question is if I had went thru the red light to get out of his way and got hit. Would it be my fault for going thru the light? Would I get a ticket for it as well? Why wouldn't he have went thru the lane that was open, instead of trying to push me out into the intersection?
Yeilding To Emergency Vehicles
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tx.45
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I got a question and would like only leo responses only. Last night on the way home from the gym, I'am at major 4 way intersection waiting to make a left hand turn my light is red. The number 3 lane is wide open/clear. An ambulance comes behind me with lights & siren on, wanting me to go, keep in mind my light is still red and there is cross traffic going thru the intersection and they are not stopping either! Finally by the grace of god my light turns green and I go. As he goes by I can tell he is mad. So my question is if I had went thru the red light to get out of his way and got hit. Would it be my fault for going thru the light? Would I get a ticket for it as well? Why wouldn't he have went thru the lane that was open, instead of trying to push me out into the intersection?
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All good questions! Would it be your fault and would you get a ticket? Probably. I don't think getting out of the way of an emergency absolves you of the responsibility of safe driving. You can't do the impossible, like pulling out in front of oncoming traffic. You did fine.
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35,705 Posts
Sitting still with your thumb in your Kiester is not the correct option....
YIELD TO THE RIGHT...
I repeat.
YIELD TO THE RIGHT..
Check the friggin lane turn your signal on and move the heck out of the way.
TO THE RIGHT>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
YIELD TO THE RIGHT...
I repeat.
YIELD TO THE RIGHT..
Check the friggin lane turn your signal on and move the heck out of the way.
TO THE RIGHT>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
How would I have yielded to the right there was a car next to me and there was cross traffic going thru the intersection?
I agree with the first response and think you did the correct thing. If there was a open lane to the left then you were fine. I always go for the open lane as long as nobody is moving. You would not believe the people that never stop in the crossing traffic. Wish I could stop and write all of them tickets.
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35,705 Posts
Sec. 545.156. VEHICLE APPROACHED BY AUTHORIZED EMERGENCY VEHICLE. (a) On the immediate approach of an authorized emergency vehicle using audible and visual signals that meet the requirements of Sections 547.305 and 547.702, or of a police vehicle lawfully using only an audible signal, an operator, unless otherwise directed by a police officer, shall:
(1) yield the right-of-way;
(2) immediately drive to a position parallel to and as close as possible to the right-hand edge or curb of the roadway clear of any intersection; and
(3) stop and remain standing until the authorized emergency vehicle has passed.
(b) This section does not exempt the operator of an authorized emergency vehicle from the duty to drive with due regard for the safety of all persons using the highway.
Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1995.
applicable law....
(1) yield the right-of-way;
(2) immediately drive to a position parallel to and as close as possible to the right-hand edge or curb of the roadway clear of any intersection; and
(3) stop and remain standing until the authorized emergency vehicle has passed.
(b) This section does not exempt the operator of an authorized emergency vehicle from the duty to drive with due regard for the safety of all persons using the highway.
Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1995.
applicable law....
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35,705 Posts
You put your turn signal on and get over as far to the right as you can it is required by law hopefully the DS to your right will do the same..
if you just stay in your lane and don't TRY to meove to the right we don't know what you are going to do , as soon as we try to go by it is ussually when you pull right in front of us...(generally speaking) so give an indication with your turn signal of where you are heading and get over as far as you can...
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Whenever I run lights and sirens I always look for the path of least resistance. Yes, the public is supposed to pull to the right. How often do they do it, particularly in an urban environment? Almost never, especially at intersections. Personally, if you're already stopped at an intersection at a red light and I'm approaching you from the rear, I would prefer that you just sit still and let me figure out how pick my way through traffic. I definitely don't want you entering an intersection ahead of me without lights and sirens.
When operating an emergency vehicle, if you have a clear lane then you take the clear lane. So what if you have to turn left from the outside lane instead of from the dedicated turn lane? Pull up, make sure the traffic in the left turn lane is holding for you, and then turn in front of them. There is an element of risk whn you have to turn in front of another car like that, but if you really make sure that the traffic is stopped before you do it, the risk is minimal. If there is a collision it will be a low speed one.
When operating an emergency vehicle, if you have a clear lane then you take the clear lane. So what if you have to turn left from the outside lane instead of from the dedicated turn lane? Pull up, make sure the traffic in the left turn lane is holding for you, and then turn in front of them. There is an element of risk whn you have to turn in front of another car like that, but if you really make sure that the traffic is stopped before you do it, the risk is minimal. If there is a collision it will be a low speed one.
Thats why I can't figure out why he wouldn't have used the lane that was open instead of trying to push me out into the intersection! I have always heard that it is best to sit still and let the emergency vehicle go around you, they have the lights & sirens & right of way not me. Well looks like I might have made the right choice by some.
I've been a medic for the last 5 yrs or so. Every company ive worked for has had policies in place for situations such as this. In your case i would have gone to the open lane, for multiple reasons, 1)in texas at least, (please correct me if ive been miss informed by my employers) i am liable for damages you cause by attempting to yeild to me in an unsafe manor. My understanding is that you going into cross traffic in an attempt to yeild to me and you get hit I am liable for all damages you cause.
2)company and state policy states that you drive with due regard, that means you still drive with the general publics best interest in mind even if they dont have the common sense to yeild, (not you, in your case you did just what i would have wanted you too and sit still and let me figure it out)
again in texas my understanding is that if you, lets say, exit a highway and come up to stopped traffic and no way around it you have to shut down and wait for it to clear up before resuming code 3 responce.
Now thats not to say every one does that, but that my take on it from the view of the ambulance.
if he had a clear lane thats what he should have gone tooIMHO.
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Not LEO, but thought this would help as it's been done successfully in the past. Put on my right turn signal, honked the horn to get the driver in the next lane's attention, pointed in front of his car, then pointed at the oncoming ambulance and pulled in front of him without entering the intersection.
Amber-lamps went by just fine....
Most of the meat wagon drivers around here have no problem pulling into the oncoming traffic lanes to go through a left-hander..... when approaching a red light, they are normally empty.... standard practice here in Detroit and surrounding suburbs.... and that includes driving over any divisional curbs designed for left turn traffic control.
HH
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The legal reasoning, as I understand it, for the ambulance not going into the open #3 lane is this:
The law says vehicles yielding the ROW to an emergency vehicle have to yield to the right. If the ambulance goes into the open lane and the vehicles yield to the right (where the ambulance is now positioned), then the ambulance is at fault. That's why we are taught in most circumstances to try to stay in the farthest lane to the left (of course, in all things, common sense must prevail)
Just my .02
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The law says vehicles yielding the ROW to an emergency vehicle have to yield to the right. If the ambulance goes into the open lane and the vehicles yield to the right (where the ambulance is now positioned), then the ambulance is at fault. That's why we are taught in most circumstances to try to stay in the farthest lane to the left (of course, in all things, common sense must prevail)
Just my .02
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From your explanation - I am assuming the ambulance driver was mad at the oncoming traffic and not mad at you. Ambulance driver probably just wanted to go into opposing traffic lane and was blocked by cars not yielding.
That is one of my pet peeves as well. If I know I am going to have to go into oncoming traffic, I try to move over as early as I can so the oncoming traffic sees me coming at them and does not decide to keep coming through the intersection. For whatever reason, mental midgets will see me with the disco on top of my car driving head on at them and continue driving instead of pulling over.
That is one of my pet peeves as well. If I know I am going to have to go into oncoming traffic, I try to move over as early as I can so the oncoming traffic sees me coming at them and does not decide to keep coming through the intersection. For whatever reason, mental midgets will see me with the disco on top of my car driving head on at them and continue driving instead of pulling over.
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Yep. Nothing like 3 lanes of traffic stopped at a light, so you go through the right shoulder to make a left turn because nobody is moving. Seems like that happens more than having the left lane open.
Or even worse... People will just stop dead in their tracks. Doesn't matter that they're in the middle of a highway, they just hit the brakes.
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Personally, I think the ambulance should have probably used the open lane to make his turn. I've had to do it before. It's not really the preferred method, but It can be done safely. More safely, I think, than expecting a private citizen in a vehicle not equipped with emergency lights and sirens to clear an intersection. I also realize that sometimes the only way for someone to yield to an emergency vehicle is to move to their left. I know the law says "right" but that's not always applicable.
The important thing to remember about running code, is that you have to do so with due regard to public safety. It doesn't matter how fast you try get there, if you can't get there. I don't, and can't, expect the general public to always cooperate with me to go the way I want. That's up to me.
If I'm trying to bust an intersection, and there are cars in front of me who can't safely clear the way, I don't get mad. The last I want is for someone to get so wrapped up in trying to get out of my way that they cause a collision. Not only would that keep me from getting I where I was going, but someone would probably get hurt (not to mention the property damage).
That is my two cents worth, and my opinion. I could be wrong.
The important thing to remember about running code, is that you have to do so with due regard to public safety. It doesn't matter how fast you try get there, if you can't get there. I don't, and can't, expect the general public to always cooperate with me to go the way I want. That's up to me.
If I'm trying to bust an intersection, and there are cars in front of me who can't safely clear the way, I don't get mad. The last I want is for someone to get so wrapped up in trying to get out of my way that they cause a collision. Not only would that keep me from getting I where I was going, but someone would probably get hurt (not to mention the property damage).
That is my two cents worth, and my opinion. I could be wrong.
There is a reason the norm for all states is for you to yield right of way, move as far to the right as possible then stop. You did NOT follow the law. There is also a reason there are stop lines at intersections. There is a reason those stop lines are a good distance back from the intersection. Why would you not use this room to get out of the way of the emergency vehicle? I'm sorry, sitting there doing nothing was the wrong thing to do. If I was at the light, I would have wrote you a ticket for it. I have no patience for folks who can't figure something so simple out. Driver's always make ridiculous excuse's as to why they can't follow the law's. This was just another one of those.
^^this
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When the OP was in his far left lane (a turn lane) with 3 lanes of stopped traffic to his right, and 4-6 lanes of perpendicular moving traffic directly in front... it seems a little unrealistic that he should have "moved right" when that wasn't a spatial option. Even with the #3 lane open, moving forward at all (in order to move right) could have caused a crash in the busy intersection ahead. Regardless of the ambulance driver's perceived mood at the traffic conditions, the OP could only go where he could go... which sounds like it was "forward" once his light changed.
To the OP... I suppose of your light hadn't changed and the ambulance was sitting behind you blaring, you could have s-l-o-w-l-y inched forward into the intersection until the ambulance had enough room to pass ... and hopefully while moving forward, cross traffic would see you AND see/hear the ambulance and stop/yield themselves. Tough scenario.
At my agency, we rarely run code in heavy traffic. Drivers just freak out and freeze, making traffic congestion a bigger problem for us. We just speed and weave as available... I'm sure it doesn't help our image with the public because they think we are driving like idiots, but the important thing is WE GET THERE.
Fire and EMS are a different story, they run full code to everything and the public expects that.
To the OP... I suppose of your light hadn't changed and the ambulance was sitting behind you blaring, you could have s-l-o-w-l-y inched forward into the intersection until the ambulance had enough room to pass ... and hopefully while moving forward, cross traffic would see you AND see/hear the ambulance and stop/yield themselves. Tough scenario.
At my agency, we rarely run code in heavy traffic. Drivers just freak out and freeze, making traffic congestion a bigger problem for us. We just speed and weave as available... I'm sure it doesn't help our image with the public because they think we are driving like idiots, but the important thing is WE GET THERE.
Fire and EMS are a different story, they run full code to everything and the public expects that.
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So many times I see (in my metro area) interstate highway traffic all lanes occupied, in front of emergency vehicles, and simply refuse to yield any of the lanes. They just stay infront of the E vehicle and ignore them completely, until there is a break for the ambulance. I have never seen a police car during those times. It's disgusting.
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