DO people NOT pull over for sirens anymore?

[Sgt Mickey]

yesterday dh and I saw an ambulance go by with lights on and saw a car actually try to pass it.

BUT what made be furious. I was driving home from Williamsburg where I attend class. I see sirens way back....it was a cop car. NOT one car moved over for it. I would say it had to pass about 10.
SO I am in the right lane and pull of to the side and let the cop go and I swear I was going to get hit by the cars passing by right after the cop.

 

[RAD]

I pull over, that's when I know they are there. With the newer cars being built to shut out road noise I just find it harder to hear a siren, and that's with the radio/stereo turned off.

 

[kellyg403]

I always pull over as well. I had just assumed it was the law? Anyway, I see it happen constantly where I live. People just keep mosing along like they can outrun the emergency vehicle.

I live in a military town. Certain times of day traffic on certain roads is horrendous. I have seen people go through redlights to avoid pulling over and losing their place in line of cars. Its ridiculous.

I do agree though, sometimes I feel like I am looking for the emergency vehicle. I can hear it but I can't see it. Had a time where I thought it was coming from behind me only to see it on the road to the left of me. Its hard sometimes to find the vehicle. I don't have a soundproof car though!

Kelly

 

[marmalade]

I see it more often lately. I just saw a car attempting to turn left in front of an ambulance flying down the rode with lights and sirens blazing.

 

[sam_gordon]

I don't always hear/see the emergency vehicle. I'd love a required sensor in all cars that would give you a relative direction of where the sirens are coming from.

That being said, I've been on the interstate and come upon an ambulance (with light going) that were only going the speed limit. I'll pass them.

 

[DeaverTex]

I've always done whatever was required so that I didn't obstruct the emergency vehicle. Sometimes that means continuing along as though it's not there (usually in a multiple land situation), sometimes it means pulling over and slowing down or stopping, sometimes it means crowding toward the edge of the road in stopped traffic, sometimes it means running a light so the vehicle can get past me. I've seen too many people who stop, pinning the emergency vehicle behind them, and then just sit there looking like they're completely baffled as to what to do next.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

yesterday dh and I saw an ambulance go by with lights on and saw a car actually try to pass it.

BUT what made be furious. I was driving home from Williamsburg where I attend class. I see sirens way back....it was a cop car. NOT one car moved over for it. I would say it had to pass about 10.
SO I am in the right lane and pull of to the side and let the cop go and I swear I was going to get hit by the cars passing by right after the cop.

To illustrate how bent things are here, because people won't pull over and were getting hit because of it, the city passed an ordinance. Emergency vehicles now have to stop at all stoplight and stop signed intersections and can't go but 10 mph over the speed limit.

 

[dngnb8]

Hello, I worked on the rigs for 6 years.

This isnt new. People use the clear traffic to get ahead. I have been tailed at high speed, THROUGH LIGHTS!

This is illegal, but there is never a cop around when you need it. Also, people with hearing aids. When they drive, they tend to turn them off so they dont hear the sirens.

On one particular occasion, we had a non-serious patient aboard, but an emergency came in with no available units. We were closest to the destination and were given the OK for Code 3 to get to the other call. I was in back with the patient. I advised her what was happening. We were heading down a street and traffic did yield, until the last moment when some lady decided she would take advantage of the clear road, and pull a U turn.

We broadsided her.

Needless to say, there were several injuries, and there were no available units.

The funny thing is, she tried to say it was our fault.

Dont EVEN get me started on how dumb the drivers are on the road today. There are times where I wish I was the Darwin Administrator of Driving.

 

[grunt0331]

The zombies on their cell phones are oblivious to other drivers on the road, flashing lights and sirens or not.

 

[Geoff_M]

More often than not, it's not cell phones or anything else... it's just that more and more people think a siren means "move over to make a clear lane and just slow down." On more than one occasion I've almost been rear-ended by the car behind me when I pull over and come to a complete stop as required by law. I've actually had people get mad at me for stopping.

 

[Ginny Favers]

More often than not, it's not cell phones or anything else... it's just that more and more people think a siren means "move over to make a clear lane and just slow down." On more than one occasion I've almost been rear-ended by the car behind me when I pull over and come to a complete stop as required by law. I've actually had people get mad at me for stopping.

I know! I can't tell you how often the person behind me has sped up and tried to pass me when I've used my blinker and pulled over to the side to let an emergency vehicle pass by.

 

[Arielle22]

Several years ago I was commuting to my last job, At the end of the off ramp you merged with two lanes that then merged into one lane. The road was a main road down to a hospital.

As I was waiting to merge (still on off ramp) an ambulane came down the road. Cars pulled over as best they could to make room. A car was following closely behind the ambulance.

I then merged and inched down the road. It was spring and I had my windows down. I was very surprised to see the ambulance pull over and the driver hop out to yell at the car behind it. The ambulance driver said following like that was illegal and the police had been called. The ambulance driver then told the car to wait there for the police, then hopped back into the ambulance and drove off.

That made my day. I hate it when people follow the ambulance.

 

[hereyago]

People are too busy, eating, on cell, having their radio blaring,etc.

And when you do pull over, the people who were behind you want to haul butt in front of you just to make it to stop light,etc. if on just a main road.


A few years ago, I was driving from Williamsburg to Richmond on the interstate. At a certain point. hardly any cars were on the road. Well this trooper comes up to this moron in the left lane, who was just riding the lane, not passing. The trooper had lights on, this jackwagon wouldn't scoot over.

I guess he thought the trooper could go around, which he could, but that isn't to point. The guy finally got the hint, but I know that trooper was ticked.


DD's school is near a fire house and there is a sign when leaving that street to not block the driveway to the firehouse, every day, these idiots do it.

 

[S. C.]

Happened to us when I was in the ambulance while rushing my dad to the hospital 2 weeks ago, lights flashing and driver was laying on the horn for them to get over. Ambulance driver said it happens all the time

 

[Micca]

I pull over, that's when I know they are there. With the newer cars being built to shut out road noise I just find it harder to hear a siren, and that's with the radio/stereo turned off.

I sense this is the issue. People with the windows up, music playing, maybe the heat or the a/c is blowing and you don't always hear the sirens until they are right up close to you.

I believe it is the law to move over, and even if it wasn't I'd want to make way for emergency vehicles anyway.

 

[SaraJayne]

I pull over, that's when I know they are there. With the newer cars being built to shut out road noise I just find it harder to hear a siren, and that's with the radio/stereo turned off.

Good drivers are aware of what's around them all the time by using their mirrors, regardless of what they can hear.

 

[Lanshark]

They don't pull over for sirens but if you live in the south they pull over and stop for a funeral. Never made sense to me. My theory is that if they pulled over originally for the siren then there might not be a need for a funeral.

 

[pixiewings71]

Several years ago I was commuting to my last job, At the end of the off ramp you merged with two lanes that then merged into one lane. The road was a main road down to a hospital.

As I was waiting to merge (still on off ramp) an ambulane came down the road. Cars pulled over as best they could to make room. A car was following closely behind the ambulance.

I then merged and inched down the road. It was spring and I had my windows down. I was very surprised to see the ambulance pull over and the driver hop out to yell at the car behind it. The ambulance driver said following like that was illegal and the police had been called. The ambulance driver then told the car to wait there for the police, then hopped back into the ambulance and drove off.

That made my day. I hate it when people follow the ambulance.

But did the driver wait?

Good drivers are aware of what's around them all the time by using their mirrors, regardless of what they can hear.

This! I can honestly say I've never missed a siren no matter what else was going on in my car. My Dad was an ambulance driver, maybe that's why? I don't know but I'm very much aware of what's going on around me.

It is the law, and you can be ticketed by mail for failing to yield to emergency vehicles, I don't know how often that happens because I always yield but I know you can be.

 

[hereyago]

They don't pull over for sirens but if you live in the south they pull over and stop for a funeral. Never made sense to me. My theory is that if they pulled over originally for the siren then there might not be a need for a funeral.

I live in VA. so we have cops and the police aide to stop traffic for funeral processions. The police aide will actually place the vehicle to where it would be hard for an 'outside" car to go around. the there is a cop in the back to block.

 

[Lanshark]

I live in VA. so we have cops and the police aide to stop traffic for funeral processions. The police aide will actually place the vehicle to where it would be hard for an 'outside" car to go around. the there is a cop in the back to block.

Oncoming traffic pulls over in Georgia for a funeral going the other direction.