Yield to flashing emergency vehicle warning

[Bradley G]

I was sitting at a red light when the white flashing light on the traffic signal starts to flash.
I had my windows down and did not hear any sirens yet.
I was in the right lane and did not attempt to move when the light turned green.
This must have been the wrong move , cause I get an orchestra of various horn sounds coming from all the angry motorists behind me.
This was like for almost a minute and the light just stoped flashing.
The lady directly behind me who apparently had some guilt for the three seperate vollies of horn blows, gets out of her car walks beside me and askes if I am, "OK".
I replied, " I'm fine thanks for asking!":D
She persued me further," I saw you looking right at the green light, but you did not move, she stumbled on with, " I just wanted to see if you were alright when you did not go on the green light!"
I was saving the reason to see if she was even privy to the fact that the emergency light was flashing.
"I just thought I was supposed to stay put in the event an ambulance or fire/Po Po had to get through."
If you don't hear sirens, it's ok to ignore the flashing white?
I was the first one across the intersection as soon as I had the clear green :coolman:

[justbob]

You did exactly the right thing!

Yesterday I had to wait to turn right because there was pedestrians present.. NOBODY liked that! Except for the LEO sitting in the nearby parking lot watching me...

Why is the world so impatient?

Sent from my Ally using Tapatalk

[Marauderman]

I was sitting at a red light when the white flashing light on the traffic signal starts to flash.
I had my windows down and did not hear any sirens yet.
I was in the right lane and did not attempt to move when the light turned green.
This must have been the wrong move , cause I get an orchestra of various horn sounds coming from all the angry motorists behind me.
This was like for almost a minute and the light just stoped flashing.
The lady directly behind me who apparently had some guilt for the three seperate vollies of horn blows, gets out of her car walks beside me and askes if I am, "OK".
I replied, " I'm fine thanks for asking!":D
She persued me further," I saw you looking right at the green light, but you did not move, she stumbled on with, " I just wanted to see if you were alright when you did not go on the green light!"
I was saving the reason to see if she was even privy to the fact that the emergency light was flashing.
"I just thought I was supposed to stay put in the event an ambulance or fire/Po Po had to get through."
If you don't hear sirens, it's ok to ignore the flashing white?
I was the first one across the intersection as soon as I had the clear green :coolman:

The only tiime I have ever seen the flashing greeen light is when it's about to turn from green to yellow to red ....and mostly on a high speed lane of traffic to allow for motorist to have enough time and distance to sloow to a stop---and only in certain states as well-----not a law I am aware of here in NC--.but not from a standing position from red to green..

[sailsmen]

Apparently I am ignorant. I wish they would do PSA or distribute this info via a press conference.
When I started driving SOP was when you were pulled over was to exit your vehicle and walk to the officers vehicle. This allowed the officers to see your hands and got you away from your vehicle.
Apparently SOP, with out any notice to the public, was changed. You are to sit frozen in your vehicle with your fingers inter locked and your hands on your head?

What if you had never been pulled over in 20 years and you follow the old SOP will you get A - shot, B - tazed or C - arrested?

It is in the best interest of LEO/Public to inform the Public of their SOP so we can follow it. I have never seen this info put before the Public. Why?

[guspech750]

I always wait too. I love looking at the faces of impatient asshats behind me as I wait for people to cross, flashing lights etc.

People suck!!


---
- Sent from my iPhone
Eaton Swap = Wreeeeeeeeeedom!!

[CWright]

I was sitting at a red light when the white flashing light on the traffic signal starts to flash.
I had my windows down and did not hear any sirens yet.
I was in the right lane and did not attempt to move when the light turned green.
This must have been the wrong move , cause I get an orchestra of various horn sounds coming from all the angry motorists behind me.
This was like for almost a minute and the light just stoped flashing.
The lady directly behind me who apparently had some guilt for the three seperate vollies of horn blows, gets out of her car walks beside me and askes if I am, "OK".
I replied, " I'm fine thanks for asking!":D
She persued me further," I saw you looking right at the green light, but you did not move, she stumbled on with, " I just wanted to see if you were alright when you did not go on the green light!"
I was saving the reason to see if she was even privy to the fact that the emergency light was flashing.
"I just thought I was supposed to stay put in the event an ambulance or fire/Po Po had to get through."
If you don't hear sirens, it's ok to ignore the flashing white?
I was the first one across the intersection as soon as I had the clear green :coolman:


What would have really sucked is if you had ignored the light, proceeded forward and got T-boned by an emergency vehicle. Then you would have been charged for failing to yield and you car torn up! You did the right thing!

[duhtroll]

Officers today are busy, so do not waste their time.

Do a 180 spin out in the middle of the road so you can be stopped almost instantly. You should then exit your car as fast as possible, running towards the police vehicle shouting your name and DL# in a very loud, hurried voice. Don't forget to be digging in your pockets for your ID so you can get it to them quickly.


Apparently I am ignorant. I wish they would do PSA or distribute this info via a press conference.
When I started driving SOP was when you were pulled over was to exit your vehicle and walk to the officers vehicle. This allowed the officers to see your hands and got you away from your vehicle.
Apparently SOP, with out any notice to the public, was changed. You are to sit frozen in your vehicle with your fingers inter locked and your hands on your head?

What if you had never been pulled over in 20 years and you follow the old SOP will you get A - shot, B - tazed or C - arrested?

It is in the best interest of LEO/Public to inform the Public of their SOP so we can follow it. I have never seen this info put before the Public. Why?

[MM03MOK]

The white strobe on top of the traffic lights is controlled by an emergency vehicle. All lights turn red accept in the direction the emergency vehicle is coming from. The emergency vehicle can then turn off the strobe and traffic lights return to their usual cycle. If you get a green light, you should be able to proceed without issue.

http://www.themirt.com/how-it-works.php

Traffic signal preemption is an optical communications system that allows preemption-equipped vehicles to alter the normal operation of preemption-equipped traffic signals.

An overview of a typical scenario is as follows:

A fire truck is dispatched to an emergency.
The fire truck is equipped with multiple emergency warning lights and a siren… The fire truck is also equipped with a preemption transmitter, which, in operation, is a high intensity forward-facing strobe light that is flashing at a rapid rate - much faster than normal attention-getting lights on the fire truck.
When the fire truck approaches within 1,800 feet (line-of-sight) of a preemption-equipped traffic signal controlled intersection, the preemption detector (normally mounted on the cross-arm that suspends the traffic signal) "sees" the fire truck’s preemption transmitter and locks onto its flashing strobe.
Once the traffic signal "sees" the fire truck, it begins to initiate a "preemption sequence" of the actual traffic signal that is different from normal operation.
If the fire truck already has a green light, the light will remain green. Any other direction that also has a green light (usually the opposite direction) will first get a yellow light, then red.
When all of the other directions are then red, and the fire truck’s direction is the only one that is green, the left turn arrow will illuminate (if one exists), and a brilliant white flood lamp mounted near the traffic signal will begin to flash. This flood lamp tells the driver of the fire truck that he now has control of the intersection, and complete right-of-way.
If the fire truck has a red light, any other direction that has a green light will transition to yellow, then red. When all the directions (including the fire truck’s) are red, the traffic signal facing the fire truck will then turn green, along with the left turn arrow (if one exists), and the brilliant white flood lamp will begin to flash.
Once the fire truck has passed through the intersection, optical communication with the preemption detector (on the traffic signal) is lost. At that time the traffic signal will default back to normal operation. Conversely, until the fire truck passes through the intersection, it will have a green light, regardless of the time duration.
If several intersections are within the 1,800 foot range of the fire truck’s preemption transmitter, they will all respond accordingly to the above operational description.

[MM03MOK]

The only tiime I have ever seen the flashing greeen light is when it's about to turn from green to yellow to red ....and mostly on a high speed lane of traffic to allow for motorist to have enough time and distance to sloow to a stop---and only in certain states as well-----not a law I am aware of here in NC--.but not from a standing position from red to green..
The Green light wasn't flashing, the white emergency light was flashing... ;)

[tbone]

Brad, you're talking about the white light on top or the signals themselves were flashing? I've never seen the signals flash, except of course red.

[sailsmen]

The Green light wasn't flashing, the white emergency light was flashing... ;)

First I have heard of this. Apparently they are either not in the areas I travel or they didn't bother to tell anyone.

[CBT]

I was sitting at a red light when the white flashing light on the traffic signal starts to flash.
I had my windows down and did not hear any sirens yet.
I was in the right lane and did not attempt to move when the light turned green.
This must have been the wrong move , cause I get an orchestra of various horn sounds coming from all the angry motorists behind me.
This was like for almost a minute and the light just stoped flashing.
The lady directly behind me who apparently had some guilt for the three seperate vollies of horn blows, gets out of her car walks beside me and askes if I am, "OK".
I replied, " I'm fine thanks for asking!":D
She persued me further," I saw you looking right at the green light, but you did not move, she stumbled on with, " I just wanted to see if you were alright when you did not go on the green light!"
I was saving the reason to see if she was even privy to the fact that the emergency light was flashing.
"I just thought I was supposed to stay put in the event an ambulance or fire/Po Po had to get through."
If you don't hear sirens, it's ok to ignore the flashing white?
I was the first one across the intersection as soon as I had the clear green :coolman:


You should park your car and utilize mass transit such as a bus or train.

[Mr. Man]

Apparently I am ignorant. I wish they would do PSA or distribute this info via a press conference.
When I started driving SOP was when you were pulled over was to exit your vehicle and walk to the officers vehicle. This allowed the officers to see your hands and got you away from your vehicle.
Apparently SOP, with out any notice to the public, was changed. You are to sit frozen in your vehicle with your fingers inter locked and your hands on your head?

What if you had never been pulled over in 20 years and you follow the old SOP will you get A - shot, B - tased or C - arrested?

It is in the best interest of LEO/Public to inform the Public of their SOP so we can follow it. I have never seen this info put before the Public. Why?

You may be ignorant I don't know but I'll up you one. Emergency vehicle lights (colors) and related traffic signal paraphernalia rules need to be standardised in all 50 states so everybody knows what the hells going on no matter what state your in.;)

[Bluerauder]

If you don't hear sirens, it's ok to ignore the flashing white?

I don't stop for "White" lights. Sounds like a good way to get rear-ended to me. This would be doubly true in the Northern Virginia area.

Personally, I don't know what "emergency flashing white light" is that you are talking about. :dunno: In NoVA, many major roads have a flashing white strobe located near the signal. It is controlled by RF or by IR to activate the strobe when an emergency vehicle approaches. The flashing strobe only means that an emergency vehicle is approaching. When the signal is "strong enough" it will cycle the light to "GREEN" in the direction of the approaching fire engine, ambulance, or police cruiser. Everyone else gets RED.

I know of NO rules, guidelines, SOP or traffic regulation that require you to STOP for a white flashing light. This applies to Virginia and any other state that I have been in.

If you can see that the strobe is flashing; but you cannot hear the sirens or see the emergency flashing reds or blues, you can proceed through your "GREEN" light as long as traffic is clear.

Anyone want to disagree with this???

[yjmud]

when I see the light on the top on (the white one) I Figure out where it is and proceed if safe

When I was running a tow truck it had strobes on it and it would trigger the lights so I stopped doing that in town and used the rollers

[SID210SA]

Well that is pretty neat....we dont have anything like that down here...is there any pics or video of these traffic devices?

[MM03MOK]

You're right on the money, Charlie. ^^^

[Bluerauder]

Well that is pretty neat....we dont have anything like that down here...is there any pics or video of these traffic devices?

The devices are pretty small. I would guess only about 2" by 3" or so. Not real easy to see unless you know what you are looking for. More obvious when the strobe activates the "Pre-Emption Cycle". I have been told by VDOT that it may take a full 3-4 signal cycles before traffic control returns to normal timing.

[Motorhead350]

One day those white lights were following me. To this day I don't get it. When I was within 100 feet of an intersection the white light would flash. This happened 12 times in a row the same way. Turned on as I was approaching the intersection. I was in the Marauder, but wasn't driving like a Mad Man at that time.

Can anyone explain this to me?

[Bigdogjim]

Hey gang the flashing white light only lets you kown the the traffic singal is under control by an emergency vehicle. New Jersey does not use them statewide, neither does Pa.

So the strobe is only to get your attention.

[Shaijack]

Oh poo, I'm in trouble. I'm color blind and can't tell what color is flashing. I will just drive and turn on them all.

[tbone]

one day those white lights were following me. To this day i don't get it. When i was within 100 feet of an intersection the white light would flash. This happened 12 times in a row the same way. Turned on as i was approaching the intersection. I was in the marauder, but wasn't driving like a mad man at that time.

Can anyone explain this to me?

lsd???????

[Motorhead350]

lsd???????

Suburbs.....

[Billboard]

The above poster is correct, if you have the green light and the white strobe is flashing, then the emergency vehicle is trying to clear the intersection. You sitting in place is blocking traffic in the direction the emergency vehicle is trying to travel. In the future I would proceed on the green after verifying the intersection is clear.

[tbone]

Suburbs.....


Smog........

[Mac-MerC]

Apparently I am ignorant. I wish they would do PSA or distribute this info via a press conference.
When I started driving SOP was when you were pulled over was to exit your vehicle and walk to the officers vehicle. This allowed the officers to see your hands and got you away from your vehicle.
Apparently SOP, with out any notice to the public, was changed. You are to sit frozen in your vehicle with your fingers inter locked and your hands on your head?

What if you had never been pulled over in 20 years and you follow the old SOP will you get A - shot, B - tazed or C - arrested?

It is in the best interest of LEO/Public to inform the Public of their SOP so we can follow it. I have never seen this info put before the Public. Why?

this made me laugh
get out and walk towards the police car?!..... lol
lolololololol hahahahaha

[sailsmen]

this made me laugh
get out and walk towards the police car?!..... lol
lolololololol hahahahaha

It worked from the time of the first ticket until they changed SOP.

I don't have a problem with changing SOP. I have a problem with changing SOP and not telling anyone.

The first post is a prime example.