Failing to Yield for Emergency Vehicles
 

Today i am reminded again as i drive of how retarded some people are at getting the f*ck out of the way when a fire truck, ambulance or police vehicle are coming behind them. I think this stupidity should be rewarded with a much larger fine that $109.. Nothing you can do i guess..:rolleyes:

Agreed.

It should be much higher and people should be fined much more often.

I see this crap going on every day. They stop in the middle of the road and don't even attempt to pull over and just clog up the road, essentially preventing the emergency vehicle from passing.

i thought this was common sense for people to pull over.. i guess not

I've seen many times peoople pull over and then right after the follow the fire truck, its if like a escort. Pisses me off
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sometimes though, you have to wonder wtf the person driving the firetruck is doing.

One time on hastings there were 2 cars in the left turn lane (ready to turn to get onto Hwy 1 westbound), NO CARS in the left lane or middle lane, because the 2-3 cars there originally have pulled over to the curb lane.

The firetruck comes up and ends up going into the left turn lane and stops right behind the 2 cars waiting there. The 2 cars didnt budge, so after a few seconds, the firetruck went around them and proceeded to turn left to get onto the freeway.
That confused me, I mean the firetruck coulda just gone into the left lane (which was empty) to begin with and make the turn. Instead the driver chooses to go up behind the 2 cars in the left turn lane. I'm sure the drivers of the 2 cars were shitting bricks when that happened. If I remember correctly, it was a red light (well for sure the left turn signal was red), so wtf did the firetruck expect the 2 cars to do? Pull over to the right into the middle of the intersection on a red light???

Why can't they just take the open lane (afterall the left lane or fast lane/passing lane was free). Did they really have to go into the left turn lane just to turn left and cause unnecessary panic to the two drivers?

This one time, driving down pacific from stanley park.. Saw 2 emergency vehicles 1 ambulance and 1 firetruck. The ambulance was comming down first and firetruck was following onced they reached the intersection the ambulance took a left and the truck took a right.. But just as they were turning they both stopped in the middle of the road to yell at eachother.. WTF??? Arent these guys supposed to work together?

LOLL i seen this couple times, its pretty hilarious


but on a serioues note, it aint that bad. Following the fire trucks is better than blocking them, at least no one is slowing them down. Just that they are opening the roads for everyone

:haha:

Lol I aint gonna lie I follow them emergencie vehicles. They free up the road for you. Followin them makes u sucka free. They make sure that u won't get stuck behind two corrolas competing for higher gas milage.
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i wonder where these emergency crew gets their driving training from

bumper cars. It's only fun in the beginning..

OT: driving to VGH west on 12th, I heard sirens and I didn't see anything. Then I see an ambulance behind me with lights running hard. Then I see an ambulance in front of me with their lights running hard. Guess one was going to a call and one was going to the hospital, both code 3. So they're ripping down the block and pass each other within a margin of space. I'm was hoping they were going to high-five each other but they didn't :lol

What should I have done in this situation?

Last night after work down Granville on the curve just before the Arthur Lang, an ambulance was pulling up fast behind, I didn't notice it until it was only about half a dozen cars behind me, but the entire roadway was pretty jammed.

I was travelling on the furthest left lane, the ambulance was coming down the middle lane. The ambulance was right behind the car that was beside/behind me (in my blind spot), and it was blocking it. So the car pulled to the right to let the ambulance through, but since it was so stuck, it couldn't pull over enough to let the ambulance through.

So I am basically now stuck in the furthermost left lane; if I pulled over to the right I would've been further blocking the ambulance as I couldn't have pulled over far enough to the right in order to give it enough space. So all I did was sit there in the left lane.

Eventually, space cleared out, the car beside me was able to fully pull over and the ambulance got through.

What would've been the best course of action for me in this situation?

This is what the law says...

Approach of emergency vehicle
177 On the immediate approach of an emergency vehicle giving an audible signal by a bell, siren or exhaust whistle, and showing a visible flashing red light, except when otherwise directed by a peace officer, a driver must yield the right of way, and immediately drive to a position parallel to and as close as possible to the nearest edge or curb of the roadway, clear of an intersection, and stop and remain in that position until the emergency vehicle has passed.

As a driver of an emergency vehicle I far preferred that all vehicles pull to the far right AND STOP!!!!!!!! It is difficult to weave your way thru a pack of vehcles, like a sheep dog working a flock. Saying that, most Cops would be happy if the vehicles actually stopped and moved over in either direction, allowing a way thru.

In your scenario the most effective solution would have been for you and everybody else in the left lane to grab the left shoulder and stop ( even a wheel up onto the curb will help widen the passageway) , and those in the center and right lanes to grab the right lane shoulder & stop.

Ok, thanks; I pulled over to the left as much as possible (over the double yellow) to try and let the ambulance through.

Sounds like you did exactly the right thing. Congrats.

My buddy and I were up taking pics on the Lions Gate bridge last spring... there was a rear-ender southbound just into the causeway, and the backup caused another right at the peak of the bridge. The firetrucks came racing from both sides and almost literally met in the middle... the Vancouver and North Van crews got out to check the situation, then stood around discussing whose jurisdiction it was. I assume the finally decided it was N.Van's, as the Vancity crew got back in their truck... we then watched as the driver tried to turn around in the middle of the bridge. Took him about a 7-point turn to pull it off :haha:

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8W57ombPl6k/R_...0/IMG_4558.JPG