I really want to know: Are you supposed to stop for emergency vehicles on the freeway?
Was I right, stupid or a law breaker?
I was driving west on I-80 the other day when I saw an ambulance in the distance behind me with its lights flashing. None of the other drivers were reacting. I continued driving, and the ambulance gradually caught up to me. Still, no one else pulled over or slowed down much less stopped.
My thinking was that it would be difficult and dangerous to stop and then try to get back on the freeway from a dead stop with everyone else traveling at 65+ mph. Besides, there is no parking lane on the freeway so there is no safe place to stop.
About the time the ambulance caught up to me, I was in the right lane next to the Keystone exit lane, but I didn't want to exit there. I kept an eye on the ambulance, which was in the center lane, so I could stay out of its way. It seemed to be matching my speed—when I slowed, it slowed. Of course it wasn't signaling; all its lights were flashing. All of a sudden the ambulance started diving at my car. That was apparently the driver's way of telling me he or she wanted to be in my lane, so I had no choice but to move over into the exit lane and take the !@#$ exit. The ambulance passed me and exited there, too. (Guess what? You can't get back on I-80 west from the westbound off-ramp.)
I felt stupid for not reading the driver's mind and knowing he or she wanted to exit there, but I don't know why he or she couldn't have moved into the exit lane before catching up to me instead of staying in the center lane until getting next to me, matching my speed and lunging at me.
I do try to follow traffic laws, so I checked the latest Nevada driver's handbook. On page 26, it says, "The right-of-way must be given to emergency vehicles approaching from any direction when they are sounding a siren or using their flashing lights. You must immediately drive to the right side of the road clear of any intersection, and stop until the emergency vehicle has passed." Is a freeway considered a road? Could be, although none of the other drivers that day seemed to think this law applied. (I know that's no excuse for breaking a law, but it's my excuse for not being sure.)
I went to page 28 and checked out "Freeway Driving." There I found this: "Do not stop before merging unless absolutely necessary; a stop can mean a slow and dangerous start into fast-moving traffic and can affect traffic behind you." That's what I was trying to avoid doing.
So I really want to know: The next time I see an emergency vehicle on the freeway, should I stop? If so, where? And how do I get back on the freeway without getting run over?
I was driving west on I-80 the other day when I saw an ambulance in the distance behind me with its lights flashing. None of the other drivers were reacting. I continued driving, and the ambulance gradually caught up to me. Still, no one else pulled over or slowed down much less stopped.
My thinking was that it would be difficult and dangerous to stop and then try to get back on the freeway from a dead stop with everyone else traveling at 65+ mph. Besides, there is no parking lane on the freeway so there is no safe place to stop.
About the time the ambulance caught up to me, I was in the right lane next to the Keystone exit lane, but I didn't want to exit there. I kept an eye on the ambulance, which was in the center lane, so I could stay out of its way. It seemed to be matching my speed—when I slowed, it slowed. Of course it wasn't signaling; all its lights were flashing. All of a sudden the ambulance started diving at my car. That was apparently the driver's way of telling me he or she wanted to be in my lane, so I had no choice but to move over into the exit lane and take the !@#$ exit. The ambulance passed me and exited there, too. (Guess what? You can't get back on I-80 west from the westbound off-ramp.)
I felt stupid for not reading the driver's mind and knowing he or she wanted to exit there, but I don't know why he or she couldn't have moved into the exit lane before catching up to me instead of staying in the center lane until getting next to me, matching my speed and lunging at me.
I do try to follow traffic laws, so I checked the latest Nevada driver's handbook. On page 26, it says, "The right-of-way must be given to emergency vehicles approaching from any direction when they are sounding a siren or using their flashing lights. You must immediately drive to the right side of the road clear of any intersection, and stop until the emergency vehicle has passed." Is a freeway considered a road? Could be, although none of the other drivers that day seemed to think this law applied. (I know that's no excuse for breaking a law, but it's my excuse for not being sure.)
I went to page 28 and checked out "Freeway Driving." There I found this: "Do not stop before merging unless absolutely necessary; a stop can mean a slow and dangerous start into fast-moving traffic and can affect traffic behind you." That's what I was trying to avoid doing.
So I really want to know: The next time I see an emergency vehicle on the freeway, should I stop? If so, where? And how do I get back on the freeway without getting run over?
I think you have to stop, or make a real attempt at doing so. Moving to the right is a start, and moving as far right as is possible (like, onto the shoulder) is the minimum. I see your point on everyone else not stopping, but you've got to do what's right. As a driver, you always hate to be that person who stops when no one else is doing so, and I feel the same way. So it's a tough thing to make that decision in that situation.
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I guess there's always the possibility that as soon as the other drivers saw me stopping they'd all stop, too. I know that if I'd seen just one person stopping I would have done the same. I'll try that if it ever happens again . . .
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