# Emergency vehicles; get outta the way, dummy! **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 1, 2001, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-vehicles-get-outta-the-way-dummy/74428 "2001-08-01T02:41:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2001, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-vehicles-get-outta-the-way-dummy/74428/1 "2001-08-01T02:41:28Z")
This is, I promise, a question. I would like to know why, in the humble opinions of the SD folks, so many people don’t move over when they hear a siren. The culprits seem to be a few old folks, but mostly middle-age or younger men. Testerone? I don’t know. But a guy at work said “probably on the way to a donut shop anyway”. Sheesh! A siren means ‘get outta the way’, not ‘hurry and do what you wanna do’. I’m an old fart, and I don’t want anyone to delay those wonderful paramedics on the way to hook me up to a defib machine (or whatever), if the need arises. I know there are some emergency types here who know exactly what I’m talking about, so what say you? And to the guilty parties, why? Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2001, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-vehicles-get-outta-the-way-dummy/74428/2 "2001-08-01T04:22:43Z")
I have always been taught that when you hear an approaching siren, you are supposed to pretend that the vehicle involved is racing to rescue your children/spouse/mother from a roaring house fire. People who are capable of ignoring the lights and sirens should be shot and hung after slow torture, then drawn and quartered just to make sure. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2001, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-vehicles-get-outta-the-way-dummy/74428/3 "2001-08-01T04:44:25Z")
Ya know, this kind of stuff really steams my clams! What gets me is that in the case of “life flight” helicopters, is nearly everyone has to clear out of their way! Even Air Force One has to give up its airspace to those guys (execpt in cases of national emergency, war, etc.)! I’m fairly certain that the same would apply to a Presidential motorcade, so what makes these idiots think that they’re more important the President? And **Zenster** , you’d be too easy on these guys. They deserve much worse. ---
**Author:** ![orr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e47c2d/32.png) [@orr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/orr)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2001, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-vehicles-get-outta-the-way-dummy/74428/4 "2001-08-01T04:50:32Z")
> [@](#): > > People who are capable of ignoring the lights and sirens should be shot and hung after slow torture, then drawn and quartered just to make sure. > **–Zenster–** Naw, just beat them to the point where timely EMS service would have saved their lives. Then let karma take care of the rest. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2001, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-vehicles-get-outta-the-way-dummy/74428/5 "2001-08-01T14:01:58Z")
You know, this really churns my…whatever. Okay, I ran out of analogies. My dad drove fire trucks for damn near 26 years. So far as I could tell, this was his number one pet peeve, and it’s become mine, too. It’s simple. If you hear the sirens, or see the lights, pull over. If you can’t pull over, stop. They will get around you. I remember seeing a story about this very thing on _Dateline NBC_, or some other show just like it. New York City. Camera crew riding in an ambulance. Call comes in, lights and siren go on. Due to traffic, the ambulance is sitting three or four cars back, waiting for the chance to turn onto the cross-street to make their run. Guy in the car in front of the ambulance _gets out of the car, walks back to the ambulance, and says, “Hey! Turn that goddamned thing off! No one wants to hear that shit!”_ Friggin’ idiot. I can only hope it was this nimrod’s family the ambulance was going to save. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2001, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-vehicles-get-outta-the-way-dummy/74428/6 "2001-08-01T14:43:25Z")
When David Niven first came over from England to make movies back in the 40’s, he got nailed once for drunk driving because a cop car came up behind him late at night with just the lights going. In England, that means “speed up and get out of the way, I’m in a hurry to get somewhere.” So he floored it. They almost deported him. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2001, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-vehicles-get-outta-the-way-dummy/74428/7 "2001-08-01T14:44:02Z")
I saw a TV prog about this sort of thing a while back, apparently, on an ordinary road (one lane either direction) in traffic that is moving fairly well, emergency vehilces are _hindered_ by drivers who slow down in order to pull onto the pavement; the recommendation was to keep going and allow the emergency vehicle to overtake when the opportunity arises. ---
**Author:** ![Chinaco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71c47a/32.png) [@Chinaco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chinaco)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2001, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-vehicles-get-outta-the-way-dummy/74428/8 "2001-08-01T21:28:58Z")
Was I imagining things, or did the traffic light the other day actually skip a cycle when an ambulance approached the intersection I was waiting at? I always thought it would be a good idea if emergency vehicles could stop the flow of traffic through intersections that way, but never realized they were actually capable of doing it. I got to the intersection on a red light, waited, heard the sirens, no cars were moving through (I assumed they were just being smart because an ambulance was coming), then after the ambulance cleared the intersection and was down the road a ways, the cycle went straight from red to yellow, and back to red again. Pretty nifty I think. I sat there pondering it and almost missed my green until someone honked at me. ---
**Author:** ![mblackwell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5fc32e/32.png) [@mblackwell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mblackwell)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2001, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-vehicles-get-outta-the-way-dummy/74428/9 "2001-08-01T21:39:10Z")
Ambulances can control the lights. Some systems have sensors on the lights that detect the pattern of the stobe light on the emergency vehicles, others use radio. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2001, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-vehicles-get-outta-the-way-dummy/74428/10 "2001-08-02T02:04:42Z")
Well, I’m gratified to see that most of those here share my disdain for people who hamper the efforts of emergency workers. But I suspect that a few of those who read this are the guilty ones. So please explain yourselves. I’m really curious. I _challenge_ you to justify your reprehensible actions. In your own humble opinions, of course. 🙂 Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![Tedster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4491bb/32.png) [@Tedster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tedster)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2001, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-vehicles-get-outta-the-way-dummy/74428/11 "2001-08-02T04:35:22Z")
It’s just par for the course in a lot of places now. Nobody cares about anything but themselves, and it’s possible they aren’t even aware of the law that requires them to move out of the way. ---
**Author:** ![CnoteChris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/278dde/32.png) [@CnoteChris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CnoteChris)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2001, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-vehicles-get-outta-the-way-dummy/74428/12 "2001-08-02T12:59:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by mblackwell \* > **Some systems have sensors on the lights that detect the pattern of the stobe light on the emergency vehicles** Little known fact: Your standard automotive timing gun can also trigger those sensors. I’ve never done it myself, but I stood next to a guy who did. Kinda cool. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2001, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-vehicles-get-outta-the-way-dummy/74428/13 "2001-08-02T15:46:30Z")
I remember the night we took my daughter to the hospital in an ambulance. It was ~2am. I looked out the back to see the headlights of cars that had pulled over, ensuring a clear passage for us, even though the highway was about empty. Seeing that was one of the tiny glints of light in that really dark night. Gawd, I’m tearing up as I write. Someone take me back to the pit!! ---
**Author:** ![Tixenfleaz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9a140/32.png) [@Tixenfleaz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tixenfleaz)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2001, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-vehicles-get-outta-the-way-dummy/74428/14 "2001-08-02T19:40:41Z")
I’ve driven fire engines and rescue wagons for 14 years now, and the last 5 have been the worst. Prior to that it wasn’t so bad. Now, however, people not only fail to yield, but they actually pass you! I frequently find myself checking the strobes to make sure that they are still on. No group of people are particularly guilty of this. It’s pretty much everyone. I’d like to think that education would help, but do you really have to teach someone to yield to an ambulance? FWIW fire engines are actually easier to drive code-3. You can scatter non-yielding idiots like mice before a cat. ---
**Author:** ![screech-owl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@screech-owl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/screech-owl)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2001, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-vehicles-get-outta-the-way-dummy/74428/15 "2001-08-02T19:51:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tixenfleaz \* > **…FWIW fire engines are actually easier to drive code-3…** Um, not up on the lingo. What’s ‘code-3’ and how’s it different from code-1, code-2, code-4, etc.? P.S., I love your username. ---
**Author:** ![Tixenfleaz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9a140/32.png) [@Tixenfleaz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tixenfleaz)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2001, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-vehicles-get-outta-the-way-dummy/74428/16 "2001-08-02T20:48:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by screech-owl \* > \*\* > …Um, not up on the lingo. What’s ‘code-3’ and how’s it different from code-1, code-2, code-4, etc.? \*\* Code 1: No lights, no siren. Code 2: Lights, no siren. (Ridiculous, and never used.) Code 3:Lotsa noize, lotsa lights. \*\* [/QUOTE] P.S., I love your username. \*\* [/QUOTE] Thank you! I’ll have you know that I am currently parasite free. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2001, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-vehicles-get-outta-the-way-dummy/74428/17 "2001-08-02T21:40:14Z")
In a recent defensive driving corse I was told that you should NOT stop IF there is a clear lane of travel for the emergency vechical. You should move the the right side of your lane and keep moving. That said I think some people stop way too soon - sometimes 3-4 blocks away they pull over - really pisses me off until I realize I can pass the idiots and then pull over (if needed) and they are still a full block away. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Zero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@Saint\_Zero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Zero)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2001, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-vehicles-get-outta-the-way-dummy/74428/18 "2001-08-02T22:57:03Z")
Here in Jackson, we had one or two people give rather mortal demonstrations on this subject. Both times, some dipshit in a car tried to beat a fire engine. Both times, the engine was doing about 55-60. Both times, the car lost horribly. Needless to say, I think after they made a big deal about it in the media here, everyone pays some attention now. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2001, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-vehicles-get-outta-the-way-dummy/74428/19 "2001-08-02T23:12:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by k2dave \* > \*\*In a recent defensive driving corse I was told that you should NOT stop IF there is a clear lane of travel for the emergency vechical. You should move the the right side of your lane and keep moving. > > That said I think some people stop way too soon - sometimes 3-4 blocks away they pull over - really pisses me off until I realize I can pass the idiots and then pull over (if needed) and they are still a full block away. \*\* Aha! So it’s **you**. k2. A _full block_, huh? How cool. 🆒 Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![Tixenfleaz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9a140/32.png) [@Tixenfleaz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tixenfleaz)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2001, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-vehicles-get-outta-the-way-dummy/74428/20 "2001-08-03T00:58:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by k2dave \* > \*\*…That said I think some people stop way too soon - sometimes 3-4 blocks away they pull over \*\* Man I love it when people do that. One less fellow for me to worry about. If you’re only a block away, then I’m already slowing down and wondering how to get around you. The basic rule is to get over to the right and let the rescue vehicle pass. That’s what we expect and hope for. Most people are good about it, but there are always those few… I figure that just about everyone end ups calling 911 sooner or later. And no matter how fast we get there, chances are that somebody slowed us down a bit. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-vehicles-get-outta-the-way-dummy/74428.md?page=2)