Please remember to pull over and stop for emergency in traffic. If you see emergency vehicles stopped on the side of the road – Slow down and move a lane over.
A big thanks to WTEN News for highlighting this important issue, back in 2017.
http://news10.com/2017/05/12/special-report-driving-you-crazy-move-over-for-emergency-vehicles/
One of our EMT's, Jon D., took the time to put his thoughts together on the topic and wrote the following:
"The lights are bright, the sound is loud
Pull to the right to follow the crowd.
At this point it feels incredibly cheesy to sit here and type that seconds / minutes matter in the case of a 911 Emergency and have it displayed all across the internet. The truth of the matter is that it in fact does. From the standpoint of a Medical Emergency it absolutely matters. While we sit here reading this text we can all think that when we are approached from behind, ahead or at an intersection by an Emergency Vehicle that we would pull over, the truth of the matter is that more people do not notice the lights and the sirens.
These days cars are being constructed with sound isolation in mind meaning that it’s more difficult to hear the outside environment while driving. Couple that with whatever is going on inside the vehicle and it makes it more difficult for us to respond to an emergency situation. We get it, you hear one of your favorite songs on the radio and sometimes you have to just sing your heart out. Been on that train, and probably on it right now as it’s leaving the station as we speak. Other factors can include having external stressors get in the way of your otherwise good driving habits such as a heated argument at work or home, financial problems or some other problems that you then bring in the car causing you to not be as present as you normally are when you are behind the wheel. Lastly we come to the cell phone. I get it, they aren’t going anywhere anytime soon and self driving cars are a long ways away. Pay attention to the traffic around you while you are talking with your hands free device and do not satisfy that urge to text while driving. Besides the fact that it’s illegal you are putting yourselves, your passengers, us and everyone around you at risk.
This is just a reminder to try and be vigilant while you are behind the wheel operating your motor vehicle. We want to get to our patients as quickly and as safely as possible and we can do that with your help! Pull to the right, it’ll be alright. While you’ll be inconvenienced for a few seconds by getting stuck at a light, missing your turn, or just plain having to pull back into the traffic lane, you will have helped us save a life."