Just a little PSA for all motorists out there…

When you hear a siren/see flashing lights, pull your damned car over to the curb and get out of the way of emergency vehicles.

Additionally, if you hear the sirens but don’t immediately know from which direction they’re coming, slow the hell down and prepare to stop/pull over, as it may be approaching from a street perpendicular to the one on which you’re traveling.

Erieites have been spoiled/made lazy by the Rad-O-Lite system that changes the traffic lights to green in the direction emergency vehicles are traveling.  Now that the system is getting old and not working quite so well anymore, we can’t rely on it.

Over the past couple of months, I can’t even count the number of vehicles I’ve seen not pull over for emergency vehicles, be they ambulances, fire trucks, or police cruisers.  I’m not sure whether the drivers are too busy gabbing on their cell phones, sending/reading text messages, eating, applying make-up, etc., but, not matter what the reason, not only are they putting themselves in the general category of Asshole Extraordinaire. 

And yes, according to the law, even if you are traveling in the opposite direction of the emergency vehicle, you are to pull your ass over.  Pronto. 

From the PA Driver’s Manual:

EMERGENCY VEHICLES AND SITUATIONS

Certain vehicles have sirens and flashing red lights or a combination of flashing red and blue lights. The lights assist emergency vehicles to move quickly through traffic and to answer emergency calls.

Emergency vehicles include fire department vehicles, police cars, ambulances, blood delivery vehicles and specially equipped vehicles from rescue organizations. Watch out for them.

When you hear a siren or see a vehicle approaching from any direction with flashing red lights or a combination of red and blue lights, you must:

Pull over to the curb or side of the road and stop.

Drive parallel and as near to the curb as possible.  On one-way streets, drive toward the nearest roadside and stop.

Stay clear of intersections.

Start driving again after the emergency vehicle passes you, staying at least 500 feet away from it.

Make sure another emergency vehicle is not coming.

During an emergency situation, all drivers must obey the direction of any uniformed police officer, sheriff, constable or any properly attired person, including fire police.

Take sirens seriously, and make way for an ambulance, fire truck or police vehicle. Someday you may be the one calling for help, or the life on the line might be a friend or family member.

And while we’re on the subject of the Pennsylvania Motor Vehicle Code, there are a hell of a lot of people driving around Erie County who are either completely unaware of the law that requires a vehicle’s headlights to be on (headlights, not parking light) whenever the windshield wipers are on (yes, even if they’re on intermittent). 

HEADLIGHT/WINDSHIELD WIPER LAW
This law, which went into effect Jan. 28, 2007, requires motorists to turn on their headlights anytime their vehicles wipers are in continuous or intermittent use due to weather conditions. Daytime running lights are not enough. Your tail lights must be illuminated as well. Motorists who do not comply with the law could face a fine of $25, but with fees and other associated costs, the penalty would approach $100.

And since it’s only a matter of time before the snow starts flying in Erie (even though it was a glorious 58 degrees yesterday), here’s a little reminder about removing the snow and ice from your vehicle before you start driving away:

SNOW/ICE REMOVAL LAW
Under this law, which went into effect July 10, 2006, motorists will face severe fines if snow or ice that falls from their vehicle causes injury or death to other motorists or pedestrians. When snow or ice is dislodged or falls from a moving vehicle and strikes another vehicle or pedestrian causing death or serious bodily injury, the operator of the vehicle from which the snow or ice came is subject to a fine of $200 to $1,000 for each offense. PennDOT urges motorists to remove all ice and snow from their vehicles before traveling.

I just love it when you see people driving around and the only spots on their vehicles that are free of snow are where the windshield wipers touch.  It takes about two or three minutes to clear all your windows of snow/ice.  Get a decent brush/scraper and quit being so frickin’ lazy, because really, believe it or not, it is easier and safer to drive when you can see out all your windows and mirrors. Duh.

Finally… and I don’t care who you are – doctor, lawyer, cop, politician, or mother – you’re not nearly as important as you think you are, so hang up the gawddamned phone already and pay attention to your driving. 

I think that covers it.  For now.

November 30th, 2009 | Category: Driving, Erie, Gripes, Laws, Pennsylvania | Subscribe to comments | Leave a comment | Trackback URL