Lubbock Fire Rescue officials have spent a good deal of time watching videos of bad Lubbock drivers. The drivers are caught on dash cam video from Battalion Chief vehicles.
Some of the biggest problems they have seen: cars that slow down and do not move over or cars that stop in an intersection.
“If everybody stops it just becomes a traffic jam for everybody,” Division Chief Steve Holland said. “So if everybody will just kind of part the waters and leave the middle area safely open and the emergency vehicles will be able to traverse that area safely.”
Some fire engines can measure up to 70 feet long and weigh several tons. He said the vehicles are not easy to maneuver.
“They are not easy to stop,” Holland said. “They are dangerous if you try to make a quick swerve.”
Holland said the best thing to do if an emergency vehicle is on the roadway is to slow down, move to the far right lane and then stop. That rule goes for both sides of the road, unless there is a divided highway.
Drivers should never stop in an intersection.
If a driver is at a stoplight and the light is green, go through the light and stop quickly after. If the light is red, stay put and the emergency vehicle will go around.
