Department policies state that when responding to emergencies, all traffic laws must be observed . All drivers should also have a thorough knowledge of the rules governing speed for emergency vehicles in their own jurisdictions and the jurisdictions of their mutual-aid partners. Sound defensive driving skills are one of the most important aspects of safe driving . Most laws or ordinances provide that other vehicles must pull toward the right and remain at a standstill until the emergency vehicle has passed. This does not guarantee that people will follow this procedure.
Intersections are the most likely place for an incident to occur.
The emergency vehicle should only proceed if the driver can account for all lanes and ascertains that it is safe to proceed. Visual Lead Time Visual lead time interacts directly with reaction time and stopping distances. Speed directly affects the distance required to stop a vehicle. The driver reaction distance is the distance a vehicle travels as the driver is transferring the foot from the accelerator to the brake pedal after perceiving the need for stopping. The braking distance is the distance the vehicle travels from the time the brakes are applied until it comes to a complete stop.