Driver's License Test Prep
Pennsylvania Practice Right of Way

You hear a siren and see a fire truck approaching from behind with flashing red lights. What must you do?

  1. A.
    Pull over to the curb or side of the road and stop. Correct
  2. B.
    Stop wherever you are, even in the middle of the intersection.
  3. C.
    Speed up and clear the next intersection quickly.
  4. D.
    Slow to five miles per hour and hold your lane position.
The Why

The answer is "Pull over to the curb or side of the road and stop."

For any siren or emergency vehicle with flashing red lights, the manual requires you to pull over to the curb or side of the road and stop, staying clear of intersections. The pull toward D comes from carrying the Move Over law's slow-down response into this scene, which skips the pull-over step the manual actually demands.

Why the others miss

The traps in the wrong answers

B. Stop wherever you are, even in the middle of the intersection.

The manual explicitly says to stay clear of intersections; you should pull over to the curb or roadside first. This answer reduces the two-step rule to a single word and ignores where the stop must happen.

C. Speed up and clear the next intersection quickly.

The manual tells you to pull over and stop; racing to the next intersection is the opposite response. This answer reasons that clearing the road faster helps the responder and treats sprinting as service.

D. Slow to five miles per hour and hold your lane position.

Slowing without moving over leaves the lane blocked; the manual requires pulling over to the curb or side and stopping. This answer borrows the 20-under-the-limit response from the Move Over law and skips the actual pull-over step.

The Rule

This question tests your knowledge of Right of Way in Pennsylvania. Source: Pennsylvania Driver Manual, "Special Circumstances and Emergencies: Emergency Vehicles and Situations," p.59..

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