What must you do when an emergency vehicle with a siren approaches in New York?
A fire truck with its siren sounding and red light flashing is coming up behind you. What should you do?
The answer
Yield the right of way, pull as close as possible to the right-hand edge or curb, stay clear of intersections, and stop until the emergency vehicle has passed, unless a police officer directs otherwise.
Vehicle and Traffic Law section 1144 applies when an authorized emergency vehicle is immediately approaching, shows a red light visible from 500 feet ahead, and sounds an audible signal such as a siren. Other drivers must yield, get to the right edge or curb, stay clear of intersections, and remain stopped until it passes.
The DMV Driver's Manual also says to pull to the right edge and stop, even if the emergency vehicle is in the opposite lane, and to clear an intersection first if you are in one.
Exceptions
- On a one-way roadway with three or more lanes, the statute allows moving to either edge.
- A police officer's direction can override the stop-and-wait duty.
- Emergency vehicle drivers are still required to drive with reasonable care for everyone on the road.
Why this rule matters for safety
Clearing a path gets fire crews, ambulances, and police to people who need help faster, and a predictable move to the right keeps their driver from having to guess where you will go.
Official sources
- NY Vehicle and Traffic Law section 1144 · New York State SenateDuty to yield to an approaching authorized emergency vehicle with red light and audible signal. Page shows most recent revision 2014-09-22. No penalty is stated on the page.
- Driver's Manual, Chapter 5: Intersections and Turns · NYS Department of Motor VehiclesEmergency Vehicles: pull to the right edge and stop, clear the intersection first. Page shows no revision date.
Rules checked against these sources on . Laws change. Confirm with the New York agency before you rely on this for a legal matter.
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