What should you do if an emergency vehicle approaches with lights and sirens?

Most drivers would have faced the situation at some stage on their motoring journey: you’re driving along, minding your own business, when flashing lights and sirens suddenly appear – either up ahead or in your rear-view mirror.

In Australia, road laws state that motorists must give way to emergency vehicles when their lights and/or sirens are engaged – whether they be police, fire and rescue, ambulance or enforcement – but there are variances between different state and territories that are worth pointing out.

All jurisdictions agree that you should make way for an emergency vehicle only when it is safe to do so, either by changing lanes or pulling to the side of the road.

There’s a clear lesson in that wording, too: many accidents occur around emergency vehicles simply because motorists overlook the regular rules and etiquette in a bid to give way. Safety should be a key consideration.

What are the basic rules around emergency vehicles and giving way?

Starting from the top with the Australian Federal Police or AFP, the official line is to move as far to the left of the road as you can, coming to a stop.

Before doing so, the advice is to check your mirrors and blind spots, use your indicator and be aware of the traffic or road users around you. Additionally, don’t make any manoeuvres that will potentially damage your vehicle or others in a bid to give way.

If the emergency is a couple of lanes over, the same rules apply. Be aware than motorists in the adjacent lane may want to move into your lane in a bid to give way to the emergency vehicle. There are instructions in place if you can’t physically get out of the way, too: “Stay where you are and let the emergency vehicle drive around you,” says the AFP. This could be because of a pedestrian, cyclist or car impeding your attempt to move over.

Some states in Australia will overlook some minor driving misdemeanours if a motorist is making way for an emergency vehicle, but the general advice is to avoid this unless completely necessary, and only do so when it is safe.

Which states enforce lower speed limits around emergency vehicles with their lights and sirens on?

This is where the rules around emergency vehicles can begin to become confusing, especially if you’re an Australian resident travelling interstate. There are several different rules in place across the country.

In Victoria and Tasmania, motorists are asked to slow to 40km/h when passing emergency vehicles, escort vehicles or enforcement of any kind on the side of a freeway or highway – but only when those vehicles are stopped with lights and/or sirens on, or travelling at 10km/h or slower with lights and/or sirens on.

The same rule doesn’t apply when the vehicle is on the opposite side of a divided road, as in one separated by a median strip or dividing barrier.

When can you speed back up? According to Victorian law, when you are a “safe distance from the scene”.

Western Australia stipulates drivers in all lanes slow to 40km/h when approaching stationary emergency vehicles, while South Australia mandates an even slower speed limit of 25km/h when motorists are within close proximity of an emergency vehicle. Both states say the laws do not apply to emergency vehicles on the other side of a median strip.

In NSW and the ACT, the lines become a little more blurred. Here, the rule is to slow to 40km/h when passing stationary emergency vehicles with flashing blue or red lights – but only when the road features a posted speed limited of 90km/h or less. On roads with a posted speed limit above 90km/h, the rule is to slow to a speed that is “reasonable” for the circumstances.

Queensland and the Northern Territory are more ambiguous with their rules, advising motorists to change lanes and slow down if possible to do so.

It’s worth noting the rules whenever travelling interstate; failure to obey respective laws can result in fines exceeding $900, depending on the state or territory you’re in.