Why do drivers pull over and stop for an oncoming emergency vehicle, when that vehicle has a completely clear lane in which to travel?
Again on Lake Avenue this afternoon I noticed drivers pulling over for an ambulance heading toward the hospital. There were no cars in the eastbound lane; the ambulance had a clear shot. It was traveling in its lane, not in the center of the roadway.
I wonder what kind of educational campaign would get the message across to drivers that they only are required to stop if necessary to allow the emergency vehicle to pass safely.
Sure, slow down and pull to the right side of your lane, but you don't need to stop. Get a fresh copy of the Rules of the Road from the DMV right here in Woodstock and actually re-read it.
NOTE: (8/21/08) The 2008 Rules of the Road contains an incomplete explanation about meeting an oncoming emergency vehicle by omitting a phrase that permits you to keep moving unless it is necessary to stop to allow the emergency vehicle to pass safely.
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6 comments:
In Woodstock the police WILL ticket you for not pulling over. Been there, done that.
Seeing your comment caused me to re-read the 2008 Rules of the Road. The current edition INCORRECTLY informs readers/drivers to stop ("pull to the right ... and wait for the emergency vehicle to pass") (in all cases). The "if necessary" condition is missing from the new Rules of the Road.
Not knowing the exact driving to which the Woodstock PD officer objected in your case, I can't weigh in on that.
The police are not always right in their understanding of traffic laws. Most are "generalists" in traffic laws, unlike the Illinois State Police who, in most cases, are experts in traffic law.
See new August 21st article.
Traveling South. Rescue Squad traveling North. Third lane between, clear. No traffic in front of, behind, or alongside myself or the emergency vehicle. $75.00 ticket.
If drivers do not stop or pull over to the side of the road as you say, that will give drivers the false sense that they do not have to pay attention to emergency vehicles. You already drive slow enough but can't you just stop and ensure that there are no more victims other than the patient in the ambulance? Its better to have drivers stop then to have them negotiate other obstacles while letting the emergency vehicle pass. You always complain about speeders passing you and ending 1 car up in front of you, so why cant you just stop, you don't have to be anywhere so fast that you cant stop for a few seconds.
meant to say, Looks to me like you got snookered by the officer. It could be that he really didn't understand every word of the law. Or he knew that you didn't.
Did you fight or pay the ticket? It's hard to take time to fight a $75 ticket, considering loss of time from work and the risk of $150 in court costs. Don't think that some cops don't know this. They shouldn't write tickets, believing that drivers won't fight them.
I did hear someone say, "If you don't know your rights, you don't have any."
I paid the ticket. The City needs the money. Thats why they concentrate on revenue generating "law enforcement" instead of the real thing.
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