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Drivesmart: Make way to give way

Sirens! I’m being overtaken by an ambulance on the way to a call.
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(Citizen file)

By Tim Schewe

Sirens! I’m being overtaken by an ambulance on the way to a call. Emergency right-of-way is being granted promptly until the ambulance reaches traffic stopped for a red light at an intersection. This is where the response grinds to a halt as the stationary drivers don’t seem to be either willing or able to get out of the way.

When you stop behind another vehicle at a red light, you should always be able to see pavement between the hood of your vehicle and the bottom of the rear tires of the vehicle in front. If you are on a hill and behind a heavy truck or new driver with a standard transmission, you might want to leave a larger gap as a precaution or courtesy.

This serves two purposes, giving you room to move aside and keeping you from being part of the accordion in a rear end collision.

Did you stop far enough back from the intersection, behind the marked stop line or crosswalk? Many drivers do not and this seriously limits their ability to move forward and to one side without coming into conflict with other traffic in the intersection.

Tim Schewe is a retired constable with many years of traffic law enforcement. To comment or learn more, please visit DriveSmartBC.ca