You are driving along a street and hear a siren. You cannot immediately see the emergency vehicle. You should:
- Keep driving until you see the vehicle.
- Pull to the curb and look to see if it is on your street. ✓
- Slow down. Don't stop until you see it.
- Speed up and turn at the next intersection.
Answer: B. Pull to the curb and look to see if it is on your street.
Pull over to the curb and stop so you can look and see whether the emergency vehicle is on your street.
Why this is the answer
The handbook says that when a siren or air-horn is close but you cannot tell exactly where the emergency vehicle is, you must safely pull over to the right edge of the road and stop until you are sure it is not coming toward you. Pulling to the curb gets you out of the way and lets you check where the vehicle is. The rule applies even when the vehicle may be approaching from the opposite direction.
Why the other answers are wrong
- A. Keep driving until you see the vehicle. — Continuing to drive until you see the vehicle ignores the handbook rule to pull over and stop when a nearby siren's source is unclear.
- C. Slow down. Don't stop until you see it. — Slowing down without stopping does not meet the requirement to pull over to the right edge and stop until you know the vehicle is not headed toward you.
- D. Speed up and turn at the next intersection. — Speeding up and turning would move you unpredictably instead of pulling to the right edge and stopping as the handbook requires.
Remember it
When a siren is close but you cannot spot the vehicle, treat the right curb as your safe waiting spot until you know where it is going.