Flashing Green lights on vehicles

[Easy Drifter]

This is for posters in Ontario or those who might visit here.
A flashing green light on a private vehicle in Ontario is a Volunteer Fireman responding to an emergency call.
Although most in the country know this the urban dwellers do not, in most cases, and visitors will not.
It is not in the Drivers Handbook nor is it taught at most driving schools.
For some reason our Govt. will not allow Volunteer Firefighters to use red lights on their personal vehicles.

So if you see someone with a flashing green light, in Ontario, please get out of the way.

It may be your house on fire or a friend or relative with a medical emergency.
Practically all rural Fire Depts. have Rescue trucks and many firefighters are darn near paramedics and some actually are.
Remember these people have to get to the Firehall before the rigs can roll!
My township has 3 small towns, several small communities, 4 firehalls but not one full time Firefighter.

[Dave B]

We have on-call doctors with green lights. I'm not sure whether one legally has to get out of their way, but you'd have to be a special kind of idiot not to.

[Mark]

We have on-call doctors with green lights. I'm not sure whether one legally has to get out of their way, but you'd have to be a special kind of idiot not to.

Legally speaking I don't believe there is any legal requirement to get out of the way of any emergency service vehicle. Just not to deliberately impeed them.
Indeed people have been prosecuted for going through red lights to allow an ambulance to pass.

[Lousada]

Legally speaking I don't believe there is any legal requirement to get out of the way of any emergency service vehicle. Just not to deliberately impeed them.
Indeed people have been prosecuted for going through red lights to allow an ambulance to pass.

The way I understand it is that they get right of way, irregardless of trafficlights or trafficsigns.

[Mark]

The way I understand it is that they get right of way, irregardless of trafficlights or trafficsigns.

No, they don't. They are allowed to go through red lights or to exceed speed limits. However this does not mean they have priority in all circumstances. If an emergency vehicle asserts priority where an ordinary vehicle would have had to give way, and then causes an accident, it is the emergency vehicle drivers fault.

[Sonic]

Too many drivers just slam on their brakes when thay see blue lights behind - just yesterday I eased off to let a police car past but the car infront stopped dead, directly alongside a traffic island leaving the officer no choice but to take to the wrong side of the road.

[Mark]

Too many drivers just slam on their brakes when thay see blue lights behind - just yesterday I eased off to let a police car past but the car infront stopped dead, directly alongside a traffic island leaving the officer no choice but to take to the wrong side of the road.

At the same time on dual carraigeways you see many drivers totally oblivious. And will pull out to overtake right in the path of an ambulance.

[driveace]

here in the UK it is Doctors on an emergency call that have the Green Flashing lights on their car roofs.I think here in the UK that most drivers do not see the emergency vehicle from the rear early enough,then panic ,and either race it,or pull up in a stupid place blocking the road,stay calm and place your vehicle in a safe place without impeding the emergency vehicle

[leopard]

Perhaps, beside flashing light the emergency vehicle is equipped with alarm to make something emergency, ambulance, fire engine, or police car are easily identifiable by drivers in front. Such alarm asserts priority, I think we have to move to the side of the road and let them pass.