Be aware of emergency vehicles on roadways

I am a driver for a local ambulance service. As you’re probably already aware, there was a collision between a Thompson Falls ambulance and a semi dump truck last week that sent three EMTs to the hospital and probably totaled their brand new 2020 ambulance — an ambulance that took a year to obtain and put into service. I am not going to comment on the cause of that collision, as that has yet to be officially determined. I will state, though, that the ambulance itself did not cause that collision, unless you want to blame the flashing red lights as the cause. Over the course of just this last week I have witnessed no fewer than four instances of drivers not using common sense or following the rules of the road when it comes to dealing with emergency vehicles.

* Multiple drivers refused to slow or pull over with an ambulance directly behind them; with lights and siren on. One driver briefly touched the brakes, indicating the ambulance had been seen but did not slow and did not pull over. This was on the highway. Another vehicle was in town, after roughly one-half mile, pulled over to let me by. Drivers need to be aware of what is behind them.

* Multiple drivers refused to slow down or stop and let the ambulance enter the highway while lights and sirens were on. An entire line of vehicles did this just west of town. I finally rolled down my window and held both arms out with raised palms gesturing that oncoming drivers stop and allow us onto Highway 200. But, not one vehicle did. Please do not assume that we will pull out in front of moving vehicles to force our way into traffic if necessary. That won’t happen. Vehicles must stop and allow us to proceed.

* The second car in a pack of oncoming vehicles pulled out to pass the lead vehicle of the pack that was pulling over (as mandated by law) as we approached each other. That second vehicle forced me to pull to the very right edge of my lane because all three vehicles ended up side by side as we met.

* Very early one morning on the side of Highway 200 a vehicle moved over slightly and did not slow, coming dangerously close to the EMT administering a patient. A deputy vehicle’s red and blue lights were fully on and could not go unnoticed in the dark. Yet, the vehicle did not move into the other lane to avoid us and went by very quickly.

Drivers must start becoming more aware of their circumstances while driving on our roads and must use common sense when dealing with emergency vehicles. If they don’t, these accidents will continue to happen and at some point, lives may be lost. The risk to the people that man these vehicles cannot be overstated as is the risk to the population of Sanders County when the service doesn’t have the equipment or people to do the job because of these accidents. Don’t think this is an out-of-state driver issue, all but one of the above instances were vehicles registered in Sanders County. I implore drivers to pay more attention to their driving, especially when meeting an emergency vehicle. Here are some do’s and don’ts I think drivers should follow.

* When an emergency vehicle is coming up behind you with lights on, please do not hit your brakes and slow down quickly. Signal your intention to pull over to the right, slow down slowly, and move over when you get a chance. Please do not simply slow or stop while still in the lane. At that point your vehicle has become an obstacle. If it is not possible to pull over, when in sharp curves or areas without shoulders, please keep your signal going while maintaining speed until you are able to safely pull over. Until we see the vehicle is slowing and pulling over, we will not be able to pass.

* When a driver sees an emergency vehicle coming toward them with lights on from the other direction, I think things should be done a little differently. If a driver slows and turns on their turn signal, it’s very possible that the person behind that vehicle will take that as a sign to pull out and pass, often without looking. How else do you explain people pulling into the other lane to pass while an ambulance is coming towards them with lights on? I think the driver should immediately put on the emergency flashers and start to slow down. Then, signal your turn and pull over, and possibly stop if and when you get the chance. The flashers let the driver behind know something is up and hopefully will put them into defensive driving mode. That may induce people to look ahead to see what’s happening and not pull out into the emergency vehicle’s path.

* When an emergency vehicle is catching your vehicle from behind, please do not simply pull over a foot or two, slow down slightly, and keep on going when you have the ability to stop. That makes it very difficult and unsafe for us to pass and many won’t do so until your vehicle has come to a stop. Also, the dust or snow cloud that is thrown up can be a hazard to us all on its own. I’ve had to wait for many vehicles, especially big rigs, that keep going while slightly pulled over and throw up so much dust or snow that visibility is greatly reduced. That forces us to stay behind that vehicle.

* When pulling your vehicle over to the side of the highway, please make every effort to not end up right next to someone that has stopped while going the other direction. With limited shoulder space, two vehicles headed in opposite directions pulled over at the same spot make for a very tight fit, often forcing us to slow down to a crawl to safely get through.

* Please don’t pull over to the other side of the highway when pulling over. I’ve had people slow down and signal they’re moving to the right side of the road and suddenly dart to the left across both lanes of traffic to the left because they saw a better pullout or road to turn onto. Make your moves to the right side of the road and don’t change course.

Please take these words to heart. I’m not trying to point fingers but am trying to raise awareness that the actions or inactions taken on the road by drivers when meeting emergency vehicles may lead to consequences nobody wants. One last thing. For those new to town or for those who may have forgotten, most emergency responders use their emergency flashers when responding to a call for our services in our private vehicle. If you see someone behind you with flashers on, please do your best to pull over and let them by. We are often held back by people going well under the speed limit. Thank you for reading this and be safe out there.

Tim Cox,

Thompson Falls