The “rescue lane” could be introduced in the Highway Code. New rules for the intervention of ambulances and firefighters
The current form of the Highway Code does not clearly provide for the obligations of drivers in situations of traffic jams or intense traffic, when it is necessary to facilitate the passage of emergency vehicles, such as ambulances, fire engines or police cars.
Proposal for the introduction of the “rescue lane” in the Road Code. PHOTO: Shutterstock
In this context, a legislative amendment project initiated by USR deputies Dumitru Văduva and Ovidiu Paraschivescu aims to introduce explicit rules regarding training the “rescue aisle”, practice used in several European states.
The initiators say that the lack of clear provisions creates confusion in traffic and can lead to delays in emergency interventions, where every minute counts. The project proposes establishing precise obligations for drivers depending on the type of road and penalizing those who do not follow the rules or who abuse the lane created for emergency vehicles.
“Behind every traffic siren is a race against time. A few seconds can mean the difference between a restarting heart and tragedy. With this project, we're taking a vital step to give our rescuers — firefighters, doctors, police — the one thing they can't buy or manufacture: time. Let's not forget that 1 minute gained on the way to a cardiorespiratory arrest increases the chances of survival by up to 10%. Rescue Corridor it is already a norm of civilization in countries like Germany or Austria, where the intervention time has decreased by up to 4 minutes”says USR deputy Ovidiu Paraschivescu.
The draft law comes to correct this situation, introducing into the Highway Code, as an obligation, what many drivers now do on their own initiative:
– in the case of roads with only one traffic lane per direction: drivers must pull to the right as much as possible and leave space on the left.
– in the case of roads with two or more lanes: drivers in the lane next to the center of the road must pull to the left as far as possible, and all others to the right.
Failure to comply with the obligation regarding the formation of the rescue lane will constitute a contravention, as well as driving through such a lane by drivers who do not have the right.
In Germany, which has implemented the “rescue lane” since the 1980s, analyzes by ADAC (Europe's largest car club) and the German Red Cross (DRK) have shown that a properly formed rescue lane allows emergency vehicles to travel at constant speeds, reducing the time to arrive at the scene of an accident by up to 40%.
In Austria, the rescue lane was implemented in 2012, and studies by Asfinag (Austrian Motorway Operator) confirmed an increase in the speed of ambulances by more than 25% in congested traffic conditions.
