Emergency vehicles on road

Police, fire and ambulance vehicles are emergency vehicles.

If an emergency vehicle is coming towards you and is sounding an alarm or showing flashing red or blue lights, you must move out of its path as soon as you can do so safely.

You should:

• slow down
• move left to give the vehicle a clear run down the middle of the road. If you can’t move left safely, stay where you are and let the emergency vehicle overtake you
• not move your vehicle suddenly
• not drive into the path of the emergency vehicle.

The law allows you to drive onto the wrong side of the road or drive through a red traffic light to get out of the way of an emergency vehicle if it is safe to do so.

However giving way to emergency vehicles should always be done with the utmost care and with the safety of yourself and all other road users as a priority.

Emergency vehicles at intersections

Emergency vehicles often stop or slow down when they enter intersections to check if they can pass through safely.

You must give way to an emergency vehicle that is sounding an alarm or showing flashing red or blue lights. This applies even if you are facing a green traffic light or arrow and the emergency vehicle appears to have stopped or slowed down.

Watch out for emergency vehicles by looking ahead and checking your mirrors regularly.

Find out what penalties apply if you don’t give way to emergency vehicles.