If an emergency vehicle is coming toward you or up behind you with its lights flashing and siren blaring, you are required to yield the right-of-way. The proper response is:
Pull over to the right side of the road as soon as it’s safe to do so, and come to a stop. On a multi-lane road, move out of the path of the emergency vehicle (typically, that means move right). On a two-lane road, pulling to the right shoulder is ideal. Essentially, you want to clear the lane so the emergency vehicle can get through.
If you’re in an intersection, do not stop in the middle. Continue through the intersection and then pull over immediately to the right and stop.
Stay stopped until the emergency vehicle has completely passed. Be alert for the fact that there might be more than one – e.g., an ambulance might be followed by a second ambulance or a police car, etc. After they pass, also check that no other emergency vehicles are coming.
Once the emergency vehicle(s) are well clear and it’s safe, you can re-enter traffic.
This rule applies to ambulances, fire trucks, police cars, and other emergency responders when they have their siren and/or flashing lights on. Every second counts for them, and by law other drivers must give them an open path. Failing to yield to an emergency vehicle is illegal and can result in a citation (and in some places, points on your license and hefty fines). More importantly, not yielding could delay help reaching someone in need or cause a collision. So, the moment you hear a siren or see those red/blue lights, pull over and stop until you’re sure you’re out of their way.
