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Last Updated: Nov 14, 2008 - 12:49:26 PM |
Sooner or later, you will be faced with red lights in your rearview mirror. Emergency calls are on the rise, which means that the chance of you being confronted with an emergency vehicle is likely. We continue to see drivers making bad decisions when we approach. The law used to state that you were to pull to the right when an emergency vehicle approaches, but the law now allows a driver to pull to the right or left, whichever is the safest. In fact, the driver and the officer in the fire apparatus are looking for the safest way to make it through an intersection.
The indecision of many drivers is what cause Fire and EMS vehicles to have to be extremely cautious. We have had drivers react improperly, even to the point of pulling into our lane of travel. You should make your decision of where to pull off when you first see us coming, not when we are right on top of you. Another major issue are those drivers who try to outrun emergency vehicles, only to be caught and dealt with, with the numerous other vehicles already in an intersection.
Many of you think that you have to get out of our way at all costs, and this is not true. If there is no safe place for you to go in an intersection, then stay where you are. We have a device known as Opticom, and it will eventually take control of the intersection. Once we start moving, then you can get over and let us proceed. Our red lights, sirens, and air horns are the extreme of asking for the right-of-way. Time is of the essence in some of the calls that we respond to.
Another thing to keep in mind is that all Chesterfield Fire & EMS apparatus are mandated to stop at all stop signs and red lights. Once we are stopped, we will proceed, even with the red, once traffic has stopped, and we have everyone’s attention.
Both emergency vehicle drivers and you, the citizens, have a responsibility in getting us to our destinations safely. If emergency apparatus does not make it to a call due to being involved in an accident, people who originally called for help have to wait for cover-up apparatus to respond. The result may be a death that could have been avoided. Therefore, help us to reach our destination safely by being alert, and moving out of our way whenever conditions allow. You do not have to drive into a ditch or proceed into an intersection when someone else has the green light just to get out of our way.
As we approach the holiday season, traffic will be on the increase. You will need to be even more mindful of things with more vehicles on the roadway. Again, our drivers are looking for the clearest path of travel, so be careful not to block it. Bottom line, whether it’s Christmas or just a typical Monday, you could be confronted with red lights in your rearview. Your actions when this occurs will have a lot to do with us getting to the call that we have been dispatched to ON TIME!
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