Driving Lessons Note #13: Hazard perception & emergencies

Hazard perception:

Slow speed to stop easily

Looking for clues

Common Scenarios

 

Emergencies:

a. List of emergencies:

….

 

b. Giving way to emergency vehicle:

..

 

c. Emergency stop:

(i) Emergency stop:

 

Read here and here.

(ii) Emergency stop on dual carriageway & motorway: 

….

 

d. First Aid:

…

 

e. Paperwork:

…

There are circumstances when you need to move out of the way for emergency vehicles such as police, ambulance, or fire brigade. The highway code states:

“Consider the route of such a vehicle and take appropriate action to let it pass, while complying with all traffic signs. If necessary, pull to the side of the road and stop, but try to avoid stopping before the brow of a hill, a bend or narrow section of road. Do not endanger yourself, other road users or pedestrians and avoid mounting the kerb. Do not brake harshly on approach to a junction or roundabout, as a following vehicle may not have the same view as you.”

So what should you do when you hear an emergency vehicle is approaching from behind? You should try and manoeuvre towards the side of the road, slow down and come to a stop.

Give the cars behind you as much notice as possible by indicating when pulling up to the side of the road. If you see things happening in front of you, put on your hazard lights to indicate a change in speed is happening to the traffic behind you.

On a one-way street, realistically the only option is to continue driving at the legal speed limit until there is an opportunity for the emergency vehicle to overtake you.

Here are things you must not do otherwise you break the law:

• No jumping red lights
• Stopping in yellow box junctions
• Bus lanes to make space

Here are things to avoid if possible:

• Don’t brake rapidly when hearing or seeing the blue lights and sirens, especially when approaching a junction or roundabout. The vehicle behind you may not have the same view as you or may not be able to stop as quickly.
• Avoid mounting the kerb even despite the Highway Code stating that you may in the case of an emergency. Consider if there are any pedestrians nearby, how high the kerb is and if it is going to cause damage to your vehicle.

Drivers that find themselves in the path of an emergency vehicle should either pull over or slow down to let them pass. Whether you were on the school run or in the middle of your morning commute, you probably weren’t expecting to run into chaos like this on the road.

However, it will be a situation drivers will find themselves in at least once (and probably hundreds of times). So knowing how to deal with it, regardless of where you are and what type of road you’re on, is essential.

Some roads will allow them to pass you easily, while it might be trickier on others.

For example, a relatively quiet three-lane motorway should be an easy place for them to pass since they can use the second or third lane to overtake. Change lanes safely if an emergency vehicle appears behind you while driving in an overtaking lane.

A wide road should also be an easy place for them to safely pass – although you might still need to slow down and move over slightly.

Where things get tricky is when you’re in heavy traffic or at a standstill. With limited space to manoeuvre, moving out of the path of an oncoming police car, fire engine or ambulance can seem impossible.

In this situation, it’s important to stay calm and remember the rules of the road. Don’t panic; try to move if possible, but if you could be breaking the law by doing so, stay where you are and don’t make any rash decisions.

What else should I consider when pulling over?

Another thing you need to consider are other drivers. They might not have noticed the vehicle or know how to react, so consider what they might do following any action you take.

Avoid slamming on the brakes or swerving into another lane without carrying out the necessary safety checks, such as looking in mirrors and checking blind spots. The last thing anyone wants is to cause another accident while the emergency services might already be responding to one.

You also can’t break any rules of the road, such as jumping a red light, speeding or incorrectly using the hard shoulder. Avoid crossing the white line at a set of traffic lights, too, as this is an offence that could land you with a fine and penalty points if there’s a red light camera in operation.

If you’re still in doubt about what to do, the best reaction is just to slow down and allow them to do their job. Remember – the person behind the wheel of the emergency vehicle has trained for high-intensity driving. You most likely haven’t.​

What does the Highway Code say about emergency vehicles?

Section Five of the Highway Code says you need to look and listen for ambulances, fire engines, police, doctors, or other emergency vehicles using flashing blue, red or green lights and sirens or flashing headlights. You should also be aware of Highways Agency Traffic Officer and Incident Support vehicles using flashing amber lights, particularly on the motorway.

According to the Highway Code, we should do the following when approached by an emergency vehicle:

• Try not to panic
• Consider the potential route and allow the vehicle to pass safely
• Comply with all traffic signs
• Pull to the side of the road and come to a stop if necessary to allow them to get through
• Try to avoid stopping before the brow of a hill, a bend, or a narrow section of road
• Don’t mount the kerb as you could endanger pedestrians
• Avoid harsh braking on the approach to hazards, such as junctions or roundabouts

What colour lights do emergency vehicles use?

As a rule, you should act accordingly regardless of the colour of the lights.

However, it can be confusing when different emergency vehicles are flashing with various coloured lights that you don’t understand.

Emergency vehicles will either use blue, green, amber or red. Other colours, such as white, might be used along with another colour to brighten the lights and make them more visible.

All these colours can indicate that an emergency vehicle is on the road, but if you’re unsure, you can look for the markings to find out which vehicle it is.

What to do if your car breaks down?

What to do if your car breaks down? Read here.