Question

Difficulty: HardEmergency Vehicles, School Buses, and Work Zones

You have entered a multi-lane intersection and are in the middle of executing a left turn under a green arrow signal when an emergency vehicle with active sirens and flashing red lights approaches from the cross street. What is the legally required action you must take?

  1. A
    Stop immediately in the middle of the intersection to allow the emergency vehicle to navigate around you.
  2. Complete the left turn safely to clear the intersection, then pull over to the right side of the roadway and stop.Answer
  3. C
    Reverse out of the intersection back into your entry lane to vacate the intersection space.
  4. D
    Accelerate rapidly through the turn and continue driving normally without pulling over.

Answer

Proceed safely through the intersection to complete the turn, then immediately move to the right curb or shoulder and come to a complete stop.
When an emergency vehicle with active sirens and lights approaches while a driver is already inside an intersection, state traffic laws require the driver to clear the intersection completely first before pulling over to the right shoulder and stopping.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Assess intersection occupancy
Recognize that stopping inside an active intersection blocks cross-traffic and emergency vehicle maneuverability.
Traffic laws explicitly prohibit stopping within an intersection when yielding right-of-way.
2
Clear the intersection safely
Complete the left turn smoothly without sudden maneuvers.
Clearing the intersection opens up the path for the emergency vehicle to proceed through safely.
3
Pull over and stop
Signal, pull as far to the right edge of the roadway as safely possible beyond the intersection, and stop until the emergency vehicle passes.
Standard move-over and emergency yield statutes mandate pulling to the right edge of the road once clear of intersections.

Key Concept

Yielding Right-of-Way to Emergency Vehicles at Intersections
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