What exactly is an emergency vehicle?
An emergency vehicle could be classified as being any vehicle that is designated and authorized to respond to an emergency situation. In the main, we would think of police, fire and medical vehicles but there are many others that may not immediately spring to mind.
If you were in any kind of danger, trouble or accident, the most welcome sights would be the approach of an emergency vehicle. We do tend to think police, fire and medical when we say the words emergency vehicle but there are many other types of emergency vehicles. What about lifeboats, mountain rescue, park rangers, helicopters and bomb disposal, they are all considered as an emergency vehicle. Even a humble bicycle could be classed an emergency vehicle in some states as they are used by police. The one thing that all emergency vehicles have in common is they normally have visual and audible warning signs.
Accidents happen on our roads everyday, in fact according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in any given year there are approximately 43,000 fatal car accidents. That is a staggering amount of loss of life. In addition to the fatalities there are nearly 3 million people injured in car accidents each year. Those are very sobering figures and it goes some way to explaining why we see many an emergency vehicle on our streets and highways.
Any emergency vehicle has one aim once they are dispatched and that is to get to the scene as fast as possible. Obviously speed has its own danger and all emergency responders must have their own and others safety in mind at all times. Speed is of the essence to an emergency vehicle, but not to the detriment of the crew or the public. Sadly, there are many emergency response personnel killed each year whilst attending emergencies. Most of the deaths are at roadside when they have been struck by passing vehicles.
An emergency vehicle at a scene will have an array of warning lights to advise and warn of hazard. Sirens are also on most emergency vehicles and a vehicle speeding to an incident will employ both siren and lights in an attempt to get road users out of their way. The Move Over laws that have been introduced in over 40 states is designed to help first responders get to where they need to be safely and without incident. First responders do a fantastic job, they are heroes and lifesavers, the jobs they do are dangerous enough without them being mowed down by careless inattentive drivers.
One of the most important things we as drivers can do is being alert at all times. We need to be aware of what to do if we see an emergency vehicle ahead, and we also need to keep in mind there will be emergency personnel at roadside. If we keep ourselves focused on driving and slowing down or changing lanes on the approach to an accident we can help save lives. Don’t fall victim yourself to a fine and points on your license. Check out your states move over law and adhere to all of the recommendations around what to do if you see an emergency vehicle.
Extreme Tactical Dynamics is a one-stop shop for a
emergency vehicle items like Flashlights, Dash Lights, Deck Lights, LED Strobes, etc. Please visit the site for more details of various items available – http://www.extremetacticaldynamics.com/
Processing your request, Please wait....
