Remember the Right (of) Way When Emergency Vehicles Approach

New Emergency Vehicle Preemption (EVP) devices are creating safer paths through busy intersections for Westerville police officers, firefighters and medics, but it’s still up to other drivers to follow the rules to make space for lights and sirens. “Drivers may have noticed white confirmation light devices between signals at intersections like State and Main Streets in Uptown and throughout the South State Street Corridor,” said Traffic Engineer Jen Alford. “These light up when active, giving drivers an indication that signal patterns may be interrupted for a cycle or two after the emergency vehicles have passed. It may mean drivers sit a bit longer than normal, a small price to pay for safer roads and faster emergency response.”

The EVP devices use GPS signals and intelligence to identify when an emergency vehicle is approaching an intersection, what turns are being indicated and what signals need to turn green to allow for safer passage. Ultimately, the devices help prevent drivers with conflicting movements from entering an intersection.

The City has gradually added these tools to intersections since 2019 and continues to do so at a rate of about four or five a year, prioritizing the busiest intersections.

DRIVERS SHOULD:

Remain aware of oncoming emergency vehicles and move as far as possible to the right (stopping parallel to the curb) in order to give them space to proceed.

Remember that emergency vehicles rarely travel solo, thoroughly check your surroundings for other vehicles before reentering traffic.

Never try to beat or race an emergency vehicle through an intersection, which creates a dangerous scenario for everyone involved.

“It’s up to all of us to follow the rules of the road to keep emergency responders, other drivers and ourselves safe,” Alford said.

For questions about traffic management in the City, contact the City Traffic Engineer at (614) 901-6814.