by Sgt. Troy Christianson of the Minnesota State Patrol

Question:

I seem to encounter a fair amount of emergency vehicles running in emergency mode (lights and sirens.) I also can’t help but notice how many people don’t pull over and yield to them. Can you bring some attention to this?

Answer:

Great topic for conversation. When an emergency vehicle (such as an ambulance, fire truck or police car) with flashing red lights and sounding a siren or bell approaches your vehicle on a two-way road, you must pull to the right and stop.

On a one-way road, pull to the nearest side and stop. If you are in an intersection, proceed through it before stopping. Remain stopped until all emergency vehicles have passed.

A law enforcement officer with probable cause to believe you have violated this law may arrest you within four hours of the violation.

You do not need to stop if the emergency vehicle is separated from your lane of traffic by a physical barrier like a fence, wall or median strip.

You can avoid a ticket — and a crash — if you simply buckle up, drive at safe speeds, pay attention and always drive sober. Help us drive Minnesota Toward Zero Deaths.

If you have any questions concerning traffic related laws or issues in Minnesota send your questions to Sgt. Troy Christianson – Minnesota State Patrol at 2900 48th Street NW, Rochester MN 55901-5848. (Or reach him at, Troy.Christianson@state.mn.us)