if you were in a car at a traffic lights with no room to turn, and a police car or ambulance with flashing lights pulled up behind you and wanted to pass you, is it legal for you to cross the lights if they are on red?
Same thing with if you are on a narrow street with nowhere to turn are you allowed to speed up?
2007-10-27 12:57:12 · 13 answers · asked by Anonymous in Cars & Transportation ➔ Safety
In short, yes.
You are, however, expected to take enough care to avoid a collision and it would be you that bears responsibility for an accident caused by you speeding up or proceeding against a red light.
So, do get out of the way as best you can, but carefully.
2007-10-27 13:02:32 · answer #1 · answered by MarkEverest 5 · 5⤊ 0⤋
The exact thing happened to me and I asked an ex-traffic cop ( sho has just left the force ) his angle on this. I actually pulled forward a car length and let the ambulance through, but I did cross a red light although with great care and I was not in the way of anything. I was told that no police officer would book you for that unless you caused an accident in doing so. You have let an emergency vehicle through although you can only do so at no risk to others. The situation may be different if you are a red-light camera as that would flash you if you pass the white line. My view is that you give the emergency vehicle priority and safely move out of the way. If you cannot do it safely, don't do it. You have to judge at the time.
2007-10-27 20:15:07 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Yes you can. I have found myself in that situation a few times, when it does happen I flahs my lights make sure people are stopping and maybe honk. I will than let the emergency car pass. If I am in the middle of the intersection I would proceed to go through also. If there is no where to turn on a one way road than I would speed up. But I have found myself going over the sidewalk to let a cop pass by before.
2007-10-28 03:22:16 · answer #3 · answered by Steven H 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
drivers on BOTH sides of the road should slow and pull off to their right which would permit the emergency vehicle to pass. Should no option other than moving with caution thru a red light present itself, do so with caution and with minimal disruption to other traffic.
Do not speed up on a narrow street, pull as far over to the right as possible and stop.
2007-10-27 20:04:55 · answer #4 · answered by missourim43 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hi Danny
I would agree with whats already been said..
But please note, as a victim of a red light camera, and received a ticket for jumping the lights, to allow an ambulance to proceed, i crossed the line but did no cross the cross roads, just enough room to allow the vehcile through, in Nottingham, i contested the ticket, they upheld the ticket, their words " as at the time of the ticket we are unable to verify any emergency vehicle on the image also including investigation" i got an option to got to court or just plead guilty as i didnt have any independant witness. It appears as i crossed the line, i set of the camera and the lights must just have changed, thus no record of the ambulance crossing. now thats SOD's law for you!. so i put it down to experience and now i will only cross of there is no camera, but only in Nott's as they were un-yielding. But anywhere else... those blue lights could be for a member of my family... so i clear the way!
hope this helps...
good luck
2007-10-28 06:12:20 · answer #5 · answered by Neurotic_Fish 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
you are required to immediately pull as far right on the road as possible and stop your car parallel to the curb or edge of the road. You must remain stopped until the emergency vehicle passes, unless a police officer directs otherwise.
It is a violation of the law to stop your car in an intersection. You must clear all intersections before coming to a stop.
most states have very simular wording check your states law
2007-10-27 20:14:00 · answer #6 · answered by Godzilla Gal 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it is for the emregency to make way as best as possible.
They have the responsibility to make the progress. You can not break the law to allow progress. I know of prosecutions where drivers have gone through red lights to assist and have been done fined and points added.You should obviously assist as best you can but if they can not get through then they should wait until it is safe for all to do so. I appreciate that we want to assist but you should not put yourself or other roadusers in harms way.
2007-10-27 21:10:38 · answer #7 · answered by brakiss 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, as long as they leave their lights and siren on. You may pull into the intersection and to the right as soon as possible and safe to allow the emergency vehicle to pass.
2007-10-27 20:00:39 · answer #8 · answered by Dan H 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
well it depends if the road you are is a divided highway (if
not) the emergency vehicle will pass your stop vehicle on your left
if the road is a divided street (there's no way for the emergency to
pass on your left, then slowly pull into insection
(by this time emergency vehicle might use its PA and
say move into intersection
2007-10-27 22:50:03 · answer #9 · answered by mobilemark 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the emergancey car would expect you at a junction to move to the left or move forward so you leave a enough space for it to get past and on a narrow street you are expected to carry on safely and when you get enough space you move over for it to past
2007-10-28 14:42:09 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋