When you hear the siren or see the flashing lights of an approaching emergency vehicle, you must:
- Slow down until it passes you.
- Drive to the right side of the road and stop. ✓
- Motion for the emergency vehicle to pass you.
- Merge into the right lane and continue driving.
Answer: B. Drive to the right side of the road and stop.
Drive to the right side of the road and stop.
Why this is the answer
The handbook says that when an emergency vehicle is using sirens or flashing lights, you must yield and pull over to the closest edge of the roadway right away, then stop until it has passed. In normal right-hand traffic, that closest edge is the right side of the road. Stopping clears a path for the emergency vehicle; the handbook also says not to block intersections. That is why the correct action is to move to the right side and stop, rather than just slowing down or continuing to drive.
Why the other answers are wrong
- A. Slow down until it passes you. — Slowing down alone does not meet the handbook rule, which tells you to pull over to the closest edge and stop until the emergency vehicle has passed.
- C. Motion for the emergency vehicle to pass you. — The handbook does not ask you to motion the emergency vehicle past; you yield by pulling over and stopping.
- D. Merge into the right lane and continue driving. — Merging into the right lane and continuing to drive is wrong because you must stop and stay stopped until the emergency vehicle has passed.
Remember it
Siren or lights: pull to the closest edge and stop, not just slow down.