What to do at a red light?

[mistuhchia]

What do you do when youre stopped at a red, but an emergency vehicle is coming up behind you with their sirens on? Impossible to get out of the way because to the left is a lightrail, and to the right are cars, and its a red light. What would best serve emergency vehicles in this case?

[Ron-Solo]

If you can get out of the way SAFELY, move ahead and pull in front of the cars to your right. If not, stay where you are and the emergency vehicle will find a way around you or give you directions when it's safe to move. Stopped vehicles are easier to avoid.

[alex00]

My personal preference is that if you are stopped at a red light don't move until I ask you to over the PA. I try not to get myself boxed in rolling with lights and sirens, and may go around medians into oncoming traffic if I have to. There are a few times where I have had to tell cars to pull forward, but I assume all the liability if they get into a crash following my directions.

A combination of case law, penal codes and my Department's Orders prevent me from passing on the right when I am driving lights and siren. There are only two types of calls I will respond to where I will risk passing on the right. If I pass on the right and a motorist pulls into me, or I cause a crash, I will be held responsible and will face discipline from my agency.

The important thing is that you are asking what to do which means you are at least thinking about it. This puts you above a large percentage of the motoring public. You would be amazed with the way people react when seeing red and blue lights in the mirror. I wish I drove a firetruck, everyone gets out of their way

[Unit74]

If I come in behind traffic and there is no way for cars to move out of the way, I'll shut down till the light turns. Very few code 3 calls I go on warrant me forcing driver out of the way.

If it is an officer down/calling for code three, you might just get push out of the way by my push bar though.

[sac550]

Don't move then.

[IrishPirate]

don't move....most of the time they actually can get around you. we'll go into the other lane if need be to get around traffic in our engine. if you must, pull to the right as much as safely possible. that's all you legally have to do. we'll figure out the rest

[Cokebottle]

The important thing is that you are asking what to do which means you are at least thinking about it. This puts you above a large percentage of the motoring public. You would be amazed with the way people react when seeing red and blue lights in the mirror. I wish I drove a firetruck, everyone gets out of their way

Amen to that.
Can't count the times that idiots just slam on their brakes and come to a complete stop in the middle of the freaking road without pulling over... worse yet when they box me in so I can't pull over.

[Hozr]

Whatever you do don't break the law. An emergency vehicle should never coerce you to break the law. If they can't get through they are supposed to shut down.

Driving with due regard does not mean forcing people to run red lights. It's never THAT big an emergency.

[alex00]

don't move....most of the time they actually can get around you. we'll go into the other lane if need be to get around traffic in our engine. if you must, pull to the right as much as safely possible. that's all you legally have to do. we'll figure out the rest

A few years back I was passed by an engine rolling code on a large but nearly empty street. A Cadillac appeared out of nowhere, and damn if the engeneer didn't figure out the rest. I watched in amazement as the passenger side rear duals came off the ground.

Amen to that.
Can't count the times that idiots just slam on their brakes and come to a complete stop in the middle of the freaking road without pulling over... worse yet when they box me in so I can't pull over.

My favorites are the complete stop in the freeway fast lane, and the continued driving in the lane until the left turn pocket. I've provided more than a few colorful commentaries on my in-car-camera.

[Cokebottle]

My favorites are the complete stop in the freeway fast lane, and the continued driving in the lane until the left turn pocket. I've provided more than a few colorful commentaries on my in-car-camera.

Can't be any worse than the comments I've made to myself.... your boss might review your Docucam

[9mmepiphany]

my best code story is 2 squads rolling to a call for code 3 cover. i'm in the 2nd squad.

we come up on a toyota camry and she pulls over for the first squad. as i'm coming up to pass, she pulls right out in front of me...and keeps going 45MPH. i couldn't move into the right lane so i slammed on my brake...this is before the days of ABS, so they locked up. i'm now closing on her as my locked up tires are skidding and i have no steering...but i'm afraid to let up on the brakes. she looks in her rear view mirror and sees me, but won't speed up.

just as i'm about to plow into her trunk, she taps her brakes to slow down for a left turn...i could just imagine the her gas tank exploding. i take my foot off the brakes and my car jerked to the right through a bunch of construction zone saw horses with blinking lights...just missing her.

my beat partner tells me it looked very impressive in his rear view mirror. he said that each saw horse i hit flew straight up and completely over my car...he said the blinking lights looked like tracer rounds they used to fire off from their firebase in Nam

[Cpl. Haas]

There are only two types of calls I will respond to where I will risk passing on the right.

Same here... an 11-99, or a Code 7.

[alex00]

Same here... an 11-99, or a Code 7.

oops, make that 3 calls I'll pass on the right

[Desert Dude]

These are some really OUTSTANDING answers to a very valid question.

Thanks LEO's.