During a road test, and every other time, drivers must stop for emergency vehicles- watch the video!
How to Pass a Road Test | Emergency Vehicles
Introduction
A few weeks ago I had a student he comes in during his day of training.
He has road test the following day for his Class 1 driver’s license which is tractor-trailer.
We're out, we're training - he's very confident about his road test; actually a little bit overconfident, which is what I felt, sort of initially, at the beginning of the thing: like, "I got this!"
Anyway, we come down the hill in Vernon, BC, heading back into town and the emergency vehicle approaches from the other direction.
Fire trucks can be red or yellow. If you're at an intersection, it's often best practice to stay stopped.
And I was like great, this'll be the ultimate test.
The emergency vehicle turned off in the intersection.
We come down through the intersection, proceed along through downtown on the main highway.
Another emergency vehicle approaches.
He didn't stop.
I said to him: "you just failed your road test."
Road Test Day
During training it was probably the best thing that could happen to him: he became humble, knew that there was the unexpected in driving.
And for many new drivers who are embarking on a road test, emergency vehicles can often be the 'fly in the ointment.'
You're nervous, you're concentrating on the task at hand and you're trying to get through the road test.
An emergency vehicle approaches: know you must stop! No matter what happens, you must stop!
On a road test and all other times, drivers must move to the nearest shoulder and come to a stop until the emergency vehicle has passed. If in a roundabout or intersection, pull through or turn and stop.
Emergency vehicles
• Police;
• Ambulance;
• Fire trucks;
• Search and rescue - in the event of catastrophic emergencies;
• emergency responders
Pulling Over & Stopping
Now, if you cannot pull over because you're sitting at an intersection, you may have to turn around the corner.
If you're at a roundabout may have to go through the roundabout and pull through to get out of the way of the emergency vehicle.
You must stop at all times when emergency vehicle approaches.
You should pull over to the nearest shoulder—if you're on the left, it may be easier to pull over to the left shoulder.
If on the right, pull over to the right side of the roadway.
An ambulance moving through a red light with traffic stopped at all entry points.
The only time that you don't have to stop, is if the emergency vehicle is on the other side of the roadway and the road is divided by a concrete barrier or a median of some type.
If you're in a city and the intermediate barrier is intermittent at times, you will have to stop.
Freeways, four-lane highways where they're divided by some sort of physical barrier that prevents the emergency vehicle from coming over on your side of the road, is the only time that you don't have to stop.
Travel In Groups
Emergency vehicles also travel in groups.
If there's one, make sure you keep an eye out in case there's another one.
Because if the fire trucks come out first as the first responders, often times the ambulance will come behind them and in some cases the police will come as well.
So know that they travel in groups.
Emergency vehicles - know that you must stop at all times, especially on a road test.
It is an automatic fail if you do not stop for an emergency vehicle during a road test.
Best practice when stopped for emergency vehicle is to activate your 4-way flashers so other drivers know you're stopped.
Description
To pass a road test, learn what to do when an emergency vehicle approaches.
Emergency vehicle can be one of the following:
• ambulance
• police vehicles
• fire engines and fire trucks
• search and rescue
Sirens on emergency vehicles are loud, and these vehicle travel at high speeds.
Therefore, it is important--and as soon as possible--that you locate the vehicle and take action to move out of the path of the emergency vehicle.
Emergency vehicles are the proverbial "fly in the ointment" of driver's road tests.
Driving is a dynamic task, and emergency vehicles can appear at any time.
During a road test and all other times, drivers must pull over to the nearest edge of the road and stop.
If you are waiting at an intersection and blocked in by other traffic, simply stay where you are.
For more information click to see this video.
Often times the emergency vehicle will deviate into the other lanes of traffic to move through the intersection.
If a driver does not pull over for emergency vehicles during a road test, it is unlikely that she/he will be successful.
In other words, move to the closest shoulder: if you're driving in the right lane, move to the right; if you're driving in the left lane, move to the left side of the road.
If you’re at an intersection or roundabout, you may have to turn the corner of proceed through to make way for the emergency vehicle.
And keep in mind that emergency vehicles often travel in groups – so if there is one, there is often going to be another.
The only time that you don't have to pull over for emergency vehicle is on multi-lane highways where the lanes of traffic are divided by a concrete barrier or median that would make it impossible for the emergency vehicle to traverse onto the other side of the road.
