OHTA.ca

Hi everyone

I am a fairly new driver and I hope to get some insight here.

I was in the VERY left lane in a 3 lane street.

I heard the sirens of an ambulance, but did not see it, I began to slow down, to about 30/40 km/h (this was a 60 zone).

When the cars around me began to slow down as well, to my right both lanes were blocked with cars.

I stopped my car in the left lane.

I heard the ambulance approaching from behind and looked in my rearview mirror to surely see it behind me.

At this point I looked to my right, I saw the middle lane had just been cleared.

I looked at the rearview mirror again and it seemed the ambulance was fast approaching in the middle lane, so I thought I'd keep in a stopped position in the left lane, but as it approached me it became obvious it was right behind me, full sirens, so I put on my RIGHT signal and switched into the empty lane.

The ambulance whizzed by me.

I technically I did stop and I did pull into the rightmost lane available to me (the middle one, b/c the very right lane was packed), but I don't know if I did this too slowly, and if so, am I going to get a ticket?

So can EMS charge me now?

Any help would be appreciated. I felt really upset after this happened, I think I should have realized sooner that the ambulance was in the left lane and not the right...maybe he even was, and then switched, I kept looking around me so I don't know if that happened or not.

Probably wont get a ticket.Sometimes you get stuck and can't move to the right lane right away or at all.I generally pull over as far as i can and put my signal or flashers on so ems knows im not going to move on them when they blow by.If there were cars blocking you from the right and middle lane stopping where you are as long as you arn't blocking them is all you can do but never leave an open lane to your right if possible and do not make any sudden moves and use you signals.

I often wondered what to do when in the left lane at a stop light and they come along so i asked an Ems crew.Their response was to hit your 4 way flasher and not move unless they pull behind you and start blipping the siren The flashers let them know you see/hear them coming.Some people have their radio cranked so high and are so into there own little world that they don't know they have ems baring down on them.They will always go left if possible.Ideally be as far right as possible with your right signal on and don't be moving as the close on you position.They were expecting you to move the right most possible lane in this case the middle lane but you choked.It happens you didn't do it to be an ass

Depending on the roadway layout, youre not always expected to pull over to the right.

Section 159 of the Highway Traffic Act states the following:

"...when on a roadway having more than two lanes for traffic and designated for the use of one-way traffic, as near as is practicable to the nearest curb or edge of the roadway and parallel therewith and clear of any intersection."

So if you were on a divided highway, you did the right thing by pulling to the left. That being said, you also did the right thing by later pulling to the right when the ambulance switched lanes.

Toronto Police/Fire/EMS have a slightly dated but still relevant video. Even they state pull over as the law requires, but also use common sense since emergency providers also may have to use alternate lanes depending on traffic, etc.

Link: http://www.torontopolice.on.ca/media/vi ... e_over.wmv