In case you wanna see a “RETTUNGSGASSE!!!” (= rescuing lane) in action this clip is what it looks like ideally. If traffic slows down for whatever reason or if there are sirens in the distance drivers are supposed to assume this formation pre-emptively and misusing it is a crime.
What I find strange in Germany is that there is literally an emergency lane on the right side of the highway but they block it to make a corridor in the center
That’s the “Standstreifen” and it’s used for towing, parking after an accident or other emergency and as an extra lane during traffic jams and road work. That’s too many use cases to make them also suitable for emergency vehicles.
Not everyone can use it for towing and it only doubles as an extra lane when the road signs say so but my point is emergency services can’t rely on it being available.
That’s how it’s supposed to work in the US too. Maybe it depends on the state but in MN at least it’s illegal to fail to pull over for emergency vehicles. If you see any emergency vehicle on the road running with lights on then you are supposed to stop and pull off to the side so that they can have the whole road.
The video in the OP looks nuts to me too. I’ve never seen people fail to pull over for an emergency vehicle in my area.
This is a very NYC phenomenon, everywhere else I’ve ever been and lived in the US moves out of the way for emergency vehicles with their lights and sirens on, I’ve seen both issues where there is nowhere to go and times where people just don’t care, every time I’m in NYC I hope to not need medical attention
So I actually experienced one of these on 64W between VA Beach and Richmond. It was amazing how everyone including myself just instinctively moved to the sides of the road. It’s not a hard concept it just takes cooperation.
In case you wanna see a “RETTUNGSGASSE!!!” (= rescuing lane) in action this clip is what it looks like ideally. If traffic slows down for whatever reason or if there are sirens in the distance drivers are supposed to assume this formation pre-emptively and misusing it is a crime.
What I find strange in Germany is that there is literally an emergency lane on the right side of the highway but they block it to make a corridor in the center
That’s the “Standstreifen” and it’s used for towing, parking after an accident or other emergency and as an extra lane during traffic jams and road work. That’s too many use cases to make them also suitable for emergency vehicles.
Ah ok I didn’t know, where I live you can’t use it for towing or as an extra lane (wpu get fined if you do that)
Not everyone can use it for towing and it only doubles as an extra lane when the road signs say so but my point is emergency services can’t rely on it being available.
Yeah it’s understandable, here is just the occasional accident or some roadworks but those will be signalised in advance
That’s how it’s supposed to work in the US too. Maybe it depends on the state but in MN at least it’s illegal to fail to pull over for emergency vehicles. If you see any emergency vehicle on the road running with lights on then you are supposed to stop and pull off to the side so that they can have the whole road.
The video in the OP looks nuts to me too. I’ve never seen people fail to pull over for an emergency vehicle in my area.
This is a very NYC phenomenon, everywhere else I’ve ever been and lived in the US moves out of the way for emergency vehicles with their lights and sirens on, I’ve seen both issues where there is nowhere to go and times where people just don’t care, every time I’m in NYC I hope to not need medical attention
So I actually experienced one of these on 64W between VA Beach and Richmond. It was amazing how everyone including myself just instinctively moved to the sides of the road. It’s not a hard concept it just takes cooperation.