Tennessee: Move over law: Chattanooga drivers putting emergency responders in danger
Move to the right for emergency vehicles. It is the law. We had the chance to ride along with the guys from Chattanooga Fire Department Squad One. Captain David Thompson and the rest of his crew could be heading to a rescue, to a fire or to just help someone who might not be feeling well.
Riding along, we quickly found that actually getting to where they need to be is almost more dangerous than their job. "We're not the only fire department having to face this," said Thompson. He's talking about facing the drivers on the road.
Sitting in the back seat of the fire truck, we saw right away what he's talking about.
"That van went through the red light," Thompson pointed out. As we continue the drive through downtown Chattanooga, it only got worse. We got in the turn lane and one of the cars in front of us didn't even attempt to get over.
So, we were forced to head into oncoming traffic. A few minutes later, we took a right and hit a road block. There was a delivery truck blocking the middle of the street, and the enormous truck we are in, almost had to back up and turn around. Thankfully, this driver was in that delivery truck and was able to pull to the left.
"Move to the right when you see an emergency vehicle," Thompson said. Despite the several challenges, we made it to where we needed to be. "We're going to help somebody, and if you impede us - you potentially could cause harm to that individual we're going to help," said Thompson.
If you can't immediately pull to the right, what are your options? "Just pull over as far as you can to the right, and stop. Don't try to keep on moving," Thompson explained. "If it takes just a few extra seconds on the people out here driving to do the right thing, then it would make it a lot easier for us."
Captain David Thompson is on the department's accident review committee. He says anytime there's an accident involving any fire department vehicle, they review it. He tells us there are about 20 to 25 accidents a year involving a fire department vehicle. According to Tennessee law, the penalty for not moving for an emergency vehicle includes a fine up to 500 dollars and possibly up to 30 days in jail.
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