A 3-minute lesson from the Texas course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
When a police car, fire truck or ambulance approaches with siren or lights, your job is to get out of the way safely. Texas also sets exact rules for following fire trucks and for passing emergency vehicles stopped on the road.
Know the rule
Yield to police cars, fire trucks, ambulances and other emergency vehicles sounding a siren, bell, or flashing red light. If traffic allows, pull to the right edge of the road and stop. If you can't pull right, slow down and leave a clear path.
Do not drive or park on the street where a fire truck has answered an alarm, and don't park where you interfere with an ambulance arriving at or leaving an emergency.
You're on a two-lane highway posted at 55 mph and an ambulance is stopped ahead with lights flashing. You can't change lanes, so slow to no more than 35 mph (20 below the limit) as you pass.
Check your understanding
Read the question, decide on an answer, then open it to check the explanation. These are Roadwise study questions based on the source handbook.
How closely may you follow a fire truck answering an alarm with its flashing red lights on?
No closer than 100 feet
No closer than 1,000 feet
No closer than 500 feet
No closer than 200 feet
Answer: No closer than 500 feet
You may not follow within 500 feet of a fire truck or ambulance responding with lights flashing.
You're on a two-lane highway posted at 55 mph when a stopped emergency vehicle with lights activated is ahead and you can't change lanes. What should you do?
Maintain your current speed
Stop completely in your lane
Slow to no more than 45 mph
Slow to no more than 35 mph
Answer: Slow to no more than 35 mph
When the posted limit is 25 mph or more, slow to a speed not more than 20 mph below the posted limit.
