Program tries to ‘right’ drivers’ wrongs

By Jason King
Information and Communications Specialist

Also see:
'Do the RIGHThing' PDF presentation
2004 Outstanding County Program Award winners

Imagine you’re driving along a city street, humming along to a tune on the radio and lamenting about getting stuck at the stoplight ahead. Suddenly, red lights appear in your rearview mirror and a blaring horn and siren interrupt your sing-along. It’s an ambulance, and it’s in a big hurry to get past you.

Wrecks such as this one can be avoided if drivers obey the law when yielding to an emergency vehicle.

What do you do? Stop and wave the ambulance driver around? Make a quick turn into the left-hand lane and hope oncoming traffic stops? Proceed through the red light, putting yourself and your passengers in peril?

Surprisingly, drivers of the Pasquotank-Camden Ambulance Service were witnessing just such behavior. Not everyone knew that the proper way to yield to an emergency vehicle is to quickly – and safely – pull over into the right-hand lane (or shoulder).

“You never know what they’re going to do,” Pasquotank County Emergency Services Director Dean J. Schaan said of the erratic decisions made by drivers. “It was very apparent drivers truly did not know what to do when they saw an emergency vehicle behind them.”

With that, emergency services officials launched a proactive campaign titled “Do The RIGHThing” to increase awareness of the law.

The cost of a pre-produced, general public education program was prohibitive, so the Ambulance Service created a PowerPoint presentation tailored to address North Carolina laws.

The presentation uses images of fire, police and EMS apparatus from many surrounding agencies to give it a more “regional” feel. All public safety agencies in Pasquotank and Camden counties, including the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, were involved in the development of the program. Specific discussions were held with organizations like the North Carolina Motor Carrier Enforcement, which led to the addition of the section titled “Passing Parked Emergency Vehicles.”

Along with the purchase of 1,000 promotional key chains, the total cost of the campaign was less than $600.

With the generous help of a local disk jockey, project managers added audio to the presentation so it can be shown on a stand-alone basis. The DJ also donated recordable compact discs for distribution of the PowerPoint. Educational brochures were designed and printed in-house.

Emergency Services officials worked closely with local media outlets to help get the word out. In addition to live radio interviews, professionally produced public service announcements aired on local FM and AM outlets. Local public access televisions aired portions of the presentation, while The Daily Advance and Virginian Pilot wrote lengthy articles promoting the project.

Schaan said the presentation has been shown 30-40 times throughout the region.

“Many of the drivers who sit through the program truly don’t know what the law is,” he said.

With each showing, however, the initiative is helping to eliminate the guessing game many drivers play when they see an emergency vehicle.

For more information, contact Schaan at (252) 335-1524 or schaand@co.pasquotank.nc.us.

‘Do the RIGHThing’

The correct way to yield to an emergency vehicle:

• Drive as near as possible and parallel to the right-hand edge or curb and stopping
• Remain clear of intersections
• Remain stopped until emergency vehicle has passed
• Move into the right lane on a four-lane highway if traffic allows
• Stay where you are at a stop sign or red light if you cannot safely pull to the right
• Pull to the left-hand curb on a one way street if you are unable to pull to the right
• Use your turn signal to indicate intentions
• Be alert to more than one approaching emergency vehicle
• Make sure lanes are safe before re-entering

What not to do

• Stop in the middle of the left-hand lane on a four-lane highway
• Pull to the left in the center turn lane or into oncoming traffic
• Drive through a red light or stop sign
• Make a left turn quickly into a driveway or street
• Race ahead to get through a green light or turn before the emergency vehicle reaches you
• Disregard and continue to travel despite the emergency vehicle
• Slam on your brakes/stop directly in front of an emergency vehicle
• Follow an emergency vehicle with your flashers on
• Stop in a curve or crest of a hill