When it comes to the right-of-way laws for emergency vehicles, everyone knows that emergency vehicles have slightly different rules than regular drivers. This is especially true when they are on an emergency call. However, the rules for regular drivers when an emergency vehicle approaches are not as commonly known. This is likely the reason Oklahoma Bill 1113 was implemented in 2015. This bill makes it illegal for regular vehicles to not yield to an emergency vehicle. Thus, you could face criminal charges on not yielding to emergency vehicles.
Right-of-Way and Yielding to Emergency Vehicles
An emergency vehicle while on duty always has the right of way under 47 O.S. §11-405. You will know if a vehicle is on duty by their lights, sirens, and/or horns. So, if you are driving and see an approaching emergency vehicle, you should always pull over to the side of the road as closely as possible and stop until the emergency vehicle passes. However, you should other drivers should make sure to safely clear the intersection first before moving to the side.
In situations where an emergency vehicle is on-scene, or stopped at an emergency, you must pull your vehicle into the farthest lane as you pass the situation. You should also slow to an appropriate speed when passing emergency workers. This is to ensure their safety as well as your own.
Refusing Right-of-Way to Emergency Vehicles
Just like other traffic violations, if you refuse to follow the safety rules regarding emergency vehicles, then you are subject to fines. These fines vary depending on the recklessness of your behavior, and if any injuries result from it. If the court finds you are subject to inattentive driving, you could receive fines of upwards of thousands depending on the severity.
In the instance that your failure to yield to emergency vehicles causes death or injury, you could face additional criminal charges. These may even reach the level of manslaughter. Manslaughter convictions can end in years of jail time and significant financial restitution to all victims. Shaving a minute off your driving time is never worth risking another person’s life, or your own for that matter.
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Contact our Wagoner County Attorneys
Facing charges on failure to give right-of-way to an emergency vehicle can cost you thousands. Don’t let something like this haunt you for months and possibly years. Traffic is not always easy to deal with and you may face blame for something you had no control over. With the help of our team at Wagoner County Attorneys, we can mitigate the potential fines and charges you could receive from this unfortunate circumstance. Call us for a free consultation today at 918-283-7394, or email us a legal question here.
