HONEST MISTAKE
You could be fined THOUSANDS for making way for emergency vehicles – here’s how you avoid it
MAKING way for emergency vehicles on the road is a legal requirement, but drivers are being warned not to put themselves at risk.
While ambulances and police cars have the right to do things like go through red lights and drive in bus lanes, normal drivers do not.
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Road safety and breakdown organisation GEM Motoring Assist is encouraging all road users to be ‘Blue Light Aware’, and to stay safe and legal when helping emergency services vehicles.
GEM chief executive Neil Worth says: “We all want to help emergency service drivers, and most of the time it’s just a simple case of pulling over to let them past.
“But we need to ensure that anything we do as drivers is safe and legal. That’s because we must all follow the rules of the road, even when giving way to an emergency vehicle.
“Blue light drivers have certain privileges, but the rest of us do not. So if we drive through a red traffic light or into a bus lane to make space for an ambulance, we risk a substantial fine, even if we were simply trying to help.
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GEM has come up with a series of videos to help drivers understand how they can help and avoid substantial fines.
It makes clear that emergency drivers appreciate the assistance we provide when it's safe and legal, but do not expect anyone to put themselves or others in danger.
Worth went on: “The line-up of short videos will show how we can help at junctions and roundabouts, on motorways and on stretches of road where overtaking is not permitted.
“Set aside a few minutes to understand the best ways you can help when there’s an emergency vehicle trying to get through.
"Not only will you be better placed to stay legal and safe, you’ll be doing your bit to help when someone’s life could depend on it.”
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Alongside its video series, GEM has also offered simple tips on how to best deal with a situation where you need to make way for an emergency vehicle.
It said: "Stay safe and legal. No one expects you to put yourself at risk or break the law in an attempt to help an emergency vehicle.
"Stay calm and alert. The earlier you spot an emergency vehicle, the more time you have to plan.
"Don’t make judgements on which emergency vehicles deserve your help and which ones don’t. Aim for a consistently thoughtful and courteous attitude that puts safety first in every situation.
"If you slow down or stop, don't move off or accelerate until the emergency vehicle has passed completely.
"There may be more than one emergency vehicle coming, so listen for different sirens, and look all round before moving off.
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