Vehicle & Roadway Safety

Pennsylvania's Move Over law, long known as "Steer Clear", requires you to move over or slow down when approaching emergency vehicles stopped on the side of the road.

What the law requires:

• If you can safely change lanes. Move over at least one full lane away. This applies to fire trucks, police cars, ambulances, tow trucks, and highway maintenance vehicles with flashing lights. Since 2021 it also applies to any disabled vehicle showing at least two warning signals, such as hazard lights, road flares, or caution signs, so an ordinary breakdown on the berm counts.
• If you can't change lanes. Slow to at least 20 miles per hour below the posted speed limit, and slower still if that's what it takes to pass safely. The law sets that number; it's not a judgment call.

Why this matters:

Firefighters, police officers, and EMS workers are killed every year by drivers who pass too fast and too close to emergency scenes. At a roadway accident, our people are often on foot, setting up cones, pulling hose, treating patients, directing traffic, with their backs to oncoming traffic. A vehicle passing at highway speed just a few feet away is genuinely life-threatening.

When you see flashing lights ahead:

1. Slow down immediately.
2. Move over a lane if it's safe. If not, slow way down.
3. Pay attention. There may be people, equipment, and hose lines on or near the road.
4. Follow directions from the fire police or the police at the scene.

Breaking it carries a fine. But forget the legal side. Just give us room to work. We're trying to help someone, and we'd like to go home after the call too.

Fire departments respond to motor vehicle accidents because crashes often involve hazards that go beyond what EMS and police handle on their own.

What fire departments do at car crashes:

• Extrication. If someone is trapped in a vehicle, firefighters use hydraulic rescue tools (commonly called the "Jaws of Life") to cut and spread metal, remove doors, push dashboards, and free occupants. This requires specialized equipment and training that EMS and police don't typically carry.
• Putting out fires. Crashes can rupture fuel lines, damage batteries (especially high-voltage batteries in hybrid and electric vehicles), and ignite fires. We stand by with hoses ready to protect the patient and everyone working.
• Spills and chemicals. Vehicles carry gasoline, diesel, battery acid, coolant, and sometimes cargo that's dangerous when spilled. Trucks and commercial vehicles may carry chemicals or compressed gases. Firefighters manage these hazards.
• Scene safety. We park the trucks to block traffic and create a safe work zone for everyone there. Fire police direct traffic around the incident. Without this, the accident scene itself becomes a danger to responders and other motorists.
• Medical assistance. Many firefighters are trained as EMTs or first responders. On calls involving multiple patients, firefighters provide additional hands for patient care until EMS transport arrives.

You might see a fire truck at a crash and wonder why it's there when nothing is on fire. It's there because the situation could change in seconds, and being prepared for the worst is how we keep people alive.

Pull over, turn off the engine, get everyone out, and move far away from the vehicle. Then call 911.

Step by step:

1. Signal and pull over as soon as you safely can. Get as far off the road as possible.
2. Turn off the engine. This stops fuel flow and may slow the fire.
3. Get everyone out of the car immediately. Don't try to grab belongings. Don't open the hood. Opening it feeds oxygen to the fire and can cause a fireball.
4. Move at least 100 feet away from the vehicle. Car fires can escalate quickly. Tires can explode. Bumper shocks and struts can become projectiles. If the fuel tank ruptures, the fire can spread rapidly.
5. Call 911. Give your location, the direction you were traveling, and describe the vehicle.
6. Warn other motorists if you can do so safely. Wave traffic away from the burning vehicle.

Do NOT attempt to put out a car fire yourself unless it's a very small fire (like a smoldering cigarette in the seat) and you have a fire extinguisher rated for vehicle use. Car fires involve burning fuel, plastic, oil, and electrical components. They grow fast and produce extremely toxic smoke.

Warning signs of a potential car fire: smoke from under the hood, a burning smell (rubber, plastic, or oil), visible flames, a sudden rise in engine temperature, or sparking from under the vehicle. If you notice any of these, don't wait to see what happens. Pull over immediately.

Call 911 first. That's the most important thing you can do. A quick call with the location and a basic description of what happened gets help rolling.

What to do:

1. Pull over safely. Park well away from the crash scene, off the road, with your hazard lights on. Don't block the road or park where your car could be hit.
2. Call 911. Tell them where the crash is (road, direction, nearest cross street or landmark), how many vehicles are involved, and whether anyone appears injured or trapped. Stay on the line if you can.
3. Check on the people involved. If you can approach safely (no fire, no traffic danger, no downed power lines), check if anyone is conscious and breathing. Talk to them. Let them know help is coming.
4. Do NOT move an injured person unless they're in immediate danger (fire, the vehicle is in water, etc.). Moving someone with a spinal injury can cause permanent paralysis. Wait for trained responders.
5. Turn off the ignition in crashed vehicles if you can safely reach it. This reduces fire risk.
6. Warn other traffic. If you have flares, cones, or reflective triangles, set them out. At minimum, your hazard lights being on upstream of the crash helps alert approaching drivers.

Don't do:

• Don't smoke near a crash scene, spilled fuel may be present.
• Don't stand in the road. You're not visible to oncoming traffic, especially at night or around curves.
• Don't attempt to direct traffic unless you're sure you can do so safely and visibly.

When emergency crews arrive, move out of the way and let them work. If you witnessed the crash, stay nearby. The police may need your statement.