Be
‘Blue Light Aware’
and stay safe around emergency vehicles,
says GEM Motoring Assist
Road safety and breakdown organisation GEM
Motoring Assist is encouraging all road users to
be ‘Blue Light Aware’, and to assist emergency
services vehicles when required. GEM’s short video
outlines the best course of action for drivers to take
when they encounter an emergency vehicle.
GEM chief executive David Williams MBE says: “We
all want to help emergency service drivers, and
most of the time it’s just a simple case of pulling
over to let them past. But we need to ensure that
anything we do as drivers is safe and legal.
“We occasionally experience difficulties because
we don’t know what’s expected of us. There is the
risk that we could be putting ourselves or others in
danger – or on the wrong side of the law.
“Our video includes details of how we can help at
junctions, on motorways and on stretches of road
where overtaking is not permitted. It was produced
in partnership with fire, police and ambulance
services across the UK. It is regularly reviewed by
experts to ensure it still represents good practice.
The latest review has just been completed (March
2016) and all its advice remains correct.”
GEM offers five simple tips to promote safety for drivers
and emergency vehicles:
• Stay safe and legal. No one expects you to put
yourself at risk or break the law in an attempt to help
an emergency vehicle.
• Remain calm and observant. The earlier you spot an
emergency vehicle, the more time you have to plan.
• Don’t make judgements on which emergency
vehicles deserve your help and which ones don’t. Aim
for a consistently thoughtful and courteous attitude
that puts safety first in every situation.
• If you slow down or stop, don’t move off or
accelerate until the emergency vehicle has passed
completely.
• There may be more than one emergency vehicle
coming, so listen for different sirens, and look all round
before moving off.
For more information, please visit
www.bluelightaware.org.uk
09