Yesterday on my way home, I caught a glimpse in my rear view mirror of Battalion 1 southbound on S. 9th Street, heading for a working fire in southwest Lincoln. I saw the chief approaching from about a half mile away, and when Bat 1 was about four blocks behind me, I grabbed a piece of the right curb. Most of the other motorists on 9th Street did the same, but several continued on their merry way, and I counted three who pulled over the the left curb.
I've never understood what's so difficult to understand about pulling to the right and stopping upon the approach of an emergency vehicle, but after watching this phenomenon since the Nixon administration, I can't say that it's gotten any better over time. In the interest of full disclosure, it was only the last couple of weeks of the Nixon administration.
On a related but unrelated note, I actually saw someone at 56th and Van Dorn over the weekend making a hand signal for a right turn. He must have blown a fuse. I was pretty impressed that the driver of that pickup knew how to signal a right turn, and also pretty glad he did--I was right behind him, and there were no brake lights, either. Extra credit if you recall the hand signal for slowing or stopping.
13 comments:
Sir, I hate to be the bearer of the news, but according to the Nebraska DMV driver's manual, the word "right" isn't included in the instructions regarding yielding to emergency vehicles. The main reason I looked there for it was to make sure I'd not been passing along incorrect info in my STOP class! As for the extra credit question - arm bent down at the elbow. (Hope my lights never fail me. My arm's not long enough to do that!)
That hand would go straight down from where it is in the picture.
While I certainly agree that people should pull over for emergency vehicles, as required by law and human decency, I would argue that the correct curb is not necessarily the right curb. As best I can determine, and I teach driver's education, on a one way street, it is acceptable (and perhaps preferable) to pull to the left curb. Unless I am mistaken, South 9th is one-way southbound for it's entire length. I would admit that in the portions that have only two driving lanes, it would probably be better for all vehicles to pull to the right, but where three or more lanes are involved, it is faster and safer for vehicles in the left lanes to pull to the left curb.
The hand signal for stop is the inverted right turn hand signal. Or, upper arm parallel to the ground elbow at 90 degrees, forearm and hand pointed to the ground with the palm facing back.
Steve,
You are correct. On a one-way street, grab the nearest curb.
A bit OT but I still use hand signals to signal turns under certain conditions when I am riding the motorcycle. My turn light indicators are very difficult to see when the sun shining on the chrome creates a glare.. My solution: use hand signals. I know 100% of the time when they have cancelled.
Gun Nut
Arrrrg!!!!'s manual stop signal is left arm extended, hook pointed downward.
Nixon resigned on August 9, 1974. Weren't you still in rookie school?
12:49,
July 22, 1974. I probably spent August 9th watching several hours of incredibly boring films about criminal procedure. Training was supposed to be 8 weeks, I think, but we got pulled early to direct State Fair traffic.
I thought this was the universal hand signal for slowing or stopping.
I think that this has already been posted to some extent but I have been told in a STOP class that you should move either right or left.
If you are in the left hand lane you should move left. If you are in the right hand lane, you should move right. That should create a lane down the middle.
In situations that I have observed I think it is fortunate that you have viewed people who have stopped.
I have been in situations where the emergency vehicles were almost upon me before I heard them (in fact, the flashing lights were what I would notice). My car is very (probably too much) quiet inside. And if I have a radio playing at even a normal level, and perhaps my AC on, my elderly (I'm 57 so I'm clearly in the too old to still be alive cohort) hearing-impared ears just don't hear sirens. I do pull over when I hear them.
60-6,151. Operation of vehicles upon the approach of emergency vehicles.
(1) Upon the immediate approach of an authorized emergency vehicle which makes use of proper audible or visual signals:
(a) The driver of any other vehicle shall yield the right-of-way and shall immediately drive to a position parallel to and as close as possible to the right-hand edge or curb of the roadway or to either edge or curb of a one-way roadway, clear of any intersection, and shall stop and remain in such position until such emergency vehicle passes unless otherwise directed by any peace officer; and
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