Traffic-type question: what would be the thing to do?

[ZenBeam]

@Dallas_Jones

the current practice is to stop all traffic in all directions and hope people get out of the way.

That’s not what your link says:

Vehicular devices can be switched on or off as needed, but in the case of emergency vehicles they are frequently integrated with the vehicle’s emergency warning lights. When activated, the traffic premption device will cause properly-equipped traffic lights in the path of the vehicle to cycle immediately, to grant right-of-way in the desired direction, after allowing for normal programmed time delays for signal changes and pedestrian crosswalks to clear.

[Leaper]

@WhyNot

In the future, I’d recall that, painted lines or no painted lines, this is a working fire station, and I’m stopping on the lee side of the driveway for the light. Will I piss off other self-absorbed drivers who don’t understand why I don’t move the fuck up to the light? Absolutely. But better than getting creamed by a fire truck or delaying their arrival should it be a real emergency.

Interesting. I’m not sure it’s practical in my case; as I said, the station has (now that I see a photo) five doors in a row right next to each other for engines, meaning I’d have to stay back some, I dunno, thirty feet? I’m not good at measurements. I’m not even sure that distance would trigger lights.

Good point about possible light-changers, though; I didn’t think about that. I’d be much more inclined to run the light if I knew I would NOT be T-boned by another car the instant I pulled out.

[Peremensoe]

@Lord_Feldon

Darting out unexpectedly into traffic when someone scraped their knee and hyperventilated is also lunatic.

If there’s an emergency vehicle behind me with lights and sirens, we are not unexpected.

And where are you that emergency crews respond, in such fashion, to scraped knees?

[Jeff_Lichtman]

Another thing: cross traffic shouldn’t enter the intersection when an emergency vehicle is approaching with lights and siren going. This means that if other drivers are using common sense and obeying the law, it should be safer for you to run the red light to let the emergency vehicle through. You can’t count on this, of course - some bozo could enter the intersection anyway - but it’s something to consider.

[Bearflag70]

Fire truck crash

unbelievable fire truck crash