Right turn wrong move when the klaxon calls

April 7, 2017

Right turn wrong move when the klaxon calls

Senior station officer Chris Delfos is leading the calls for people to be more aware of emergency vehicles on the road. Photo: Supplied

Firefighters in South Auckland are fed up with drivers not knowing how to get out of the way in an emergency.

Papatoetoe senior station officer Chris Delfos said they have had numerous close calls with members of the public who will often erroneously pull to the right when emergency services are trying to get past.

“It happens on a daily basis, sometimes multiple times on one trip.”

Mr Delfos said this behaviour was frustrating and could cause accidents.

“People not understanding how to get out of the way is dangerous for not only them, but the crew on board the fire truck, and other members of the public.”

Mr Delfos, a firefighter with more than 25 years’ experience, said the problem of people failing to make way for emergency vehicles was getting worse, and urged people to study the Road Code.

The website drivingtests.co.nz states: “If you hold up an ambulance or fire engine on the road then you could potentially cause loss of life.”

AA Driving School general manager Roger Venn said there was a variety of reasons drivers did not respond correctly.

“It can be put down to a lack of training and a lack of common sense and knowledge of the Road Code.

“The mistake is people just freeze and brake and then there's nowhere for the emergency vehicle to go.”

The rise in people failing to get out of the way, had not only been noticed by fire crews themselves, but also by people in the area.

Margaret Colegrove, a social worker at Papatoetoe East School, said she often noticed cars not getting out of the way, when emergency services were trying to get past.

“It is a constant source of amazement that people don’t know what to do it that situation. I have seen cars literally stop in the middle of the road, so fire engines are unable to get past.”

Ms Colegrove, who commutes daily from West Auckland, said she had seen multiple near-misses in the Papatoetoe area.

“Many times have I seen people totally not react to an emergency service coming through. It amazes me that people don’t see or hear them.”

People are urged by the fire service and the Automobile Association to slow down and move to the left to let the emergency vehicles through.

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