The Manitoba Driver, from Manitoba Public Insurance
July 2010
About 490 words
Motorists encouraged to respect roadside emergency personnel
On any given day in Manitoba, dedicated members of rural fire departments attend to motor vehicle crashes, providing emergency roadside assistance. These highly trained individuals are called upon to work under extremely stressful situations which can become even more dangerous due to the actions of curious motorists.
“It’s paramount for passing motorists to take caution when passing an accident scene,” says Dan Thorsteinson, long-time chief of the Selkirk Fire Department. “Some passing motorists become very distracted and rubber neck to see what’s going on.”
Motorists coming upon an accident scene should immediately slow down and obey instructions provided by attending emergency personnel, says Clif Eden, Manager of Road Safety with Manitoba Public Insurance.
Even in a minor crash with no injuries, motorists need to exercise care and caution.
“It’s recommended that both drivers exchange their particulars off the road and in a safe area away from other traffic,” says Eden. “Exchanging information on the roadway creates a very real potential for injury to all parties. Safety needs to be observed at any traffic scene.”
An accident scene can be very dangerous with attending police and fire vehicles on site, in addition to the men and women who are trying to save lives.
“The firefighters on the scene are completely focused on doing their jobs,” says Thorsteinson, who has been a firefighter in Selkirk for more than 25 years. “The firefighters are working on life-saving equipment (jaws of life), getting equipment from the trucks or attending to injured people. In many ways the crash scene is organized chaos.”
The Association of Manitoba Municipalities (AMM), works very closely with the province’s volunteer fire departments. Adhering to road-side safety is a priority for not only the firefighters, but police and other motorists.
“Municipalities have become increasingly concerned for the safety of firefighters while they are attending accident scenes,” says Doug Dobrowolski, President of the AMM.
“These situations are stressful enough for our staff without being compromised by curious motorists. We sincerely hope drivers will take care when passing a crash scene, for everyone’s safety. “
Some safety tips for motorists to remember:
- When you hear an emergency siren behind you, move your vehicle to the right-side of the road and stop. Remain stopped until the emergency vehicle passes you
- Always yield the right of way to emergency vehicles
- If you’re the first to arrive on a crash scene, park your vehicle in a safe area, ensuring it cannot be hit by passing vehicles. Immediately call 911 and be prepared to provide specific location details.
- When passing a crash scene, obey all traffic enforcement directions. Detours around the scene will be conducted by police.
- The law requires motorists to slow down and proceed with caution when passing emergency vehicles. When traveling on a multiple-lane road, motorists must change lanes when passing emergency vehicles.
“An accident scene is very dangerous,” says Thorsteinson. “All steps are taken to minimize traffic around the scene and ensure emergency responders can work safely.”
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© 2010 Manitoba Public Insurance