Emergency Vehicle Traffic Safety
An ambulance is transporting a critically injured patient to the hospital. A fire truck is en route to a residential fire that could spread quickly to other homes in the area. A police car is responding to an urgent 911 call for help.
These are critical situations where emergency responders need drivers to pay attention and follow the rules of the road so they can do their jobs. Unfortunately, emergency responders continually experience problems and critical delays navigating traffic, as most drivers are unfamiliar of the rules of the road, especially as they relate to emergency vehicles.
Edmonton drivers can help emergency responders get to the scene of an emergency as quickly as possible by following the rules of the road.
Rules of the Road
According to the Alberta Traffic Safety Act, when an emergency vehicle (ambulance, fire or police) is approaching you from any direction and is sounding a siren, you must yield the right-of-way by:
- Immediately moving clear of any intersection
- Driving your vehicle to the right side of the road if it has one or two lanes.
- Driving your vehicle to the nearest side of the road if it has three or more lanes. If you are in the centre lane, drive to the right side.
- Stopping until the emergency vehicle has passed and check that no other emergency vehicles are approaching
- Remember, you must not follow within 150m of any emergency vehicle that has its siren or lights operating.
The instructional video provides details about the rules of the road as they pertain to emergency vehicles.
The City of Edmonton would like to thank the following partners for their contributions to this project:
For More Information
The Office of Traffic Safety
Suite 200
9304 – 41 Ave.
Edmonton, AB T6E 6G8
| Telephone | 780-495-0371 |
|---|---|
| Fax | 780-495-0383 |
| transportationoperations@edmonton.ca |
