Highway Code: Emergency service rules could lead to fines
For example, in certain situations, despite letting an emergency service vehicle pass, if done improperly, it could lead to a hefty fine.
10 obscure driving laws you may not know
What does the Highway Code say about letting emergency service vehicles past?
The Highway Code states that drivers should look and listen for ambulances, fire engines, police, doctors or other emergency vehicles using flashing blue, red or green lights and sirens or flashing headlights.
These also include Highways Agency Traffic Officer and Incident Support vehicles using flashing amber lights.
It says: "When one approaches, do not panic. Consider the route of such a vehicle and take appropriate action to let it pass, while complying with all traffic signs."
How you could be fined for letting emergency services through
Despite being required to let emergency service vehicles pass in certain situations, doing so unsafely could lead to fines.
UK road laws still apply and if motorists let an ambulance pass improperly, it could land them with a penalty of up to £1,000.
7 common speed camera myths
For example, if drivers were to break the law when letting an ambulance pass, this could lead to consequences.
Examples given by the RAC that could lead to heavy fines include entering a bus lane, stopping in a yellow box junction or driving through a red traffic light.
It says drivers could be hit with a fixed penalty notice for £100 and three penalty points on their licence for jumping a red light – even if it's at low speed to get out of the way of an emergency vehicle.
"If it goes to court, the penalty could be even bigger," the insurance company adds.
Recommended reading:
The Highway Code says: "If necessary, pull to the side of the road and stop, but try to avoid stopping before the brow of a hill, a bend or narrow section of road.
"Do not endanger yourself, other road users or pedestrians and avoid mounting the kerb.
"Do not brake harshly on approach to a junction or roundabout, as a following vehicle may not have the same view as you."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sky News
6 hours ago
- Sky News
'RAC left me stranded on a busy motorway for four hours - but only offered £8 compensation'
Every Tuesday, we answer your financial problems or consumer disputes - email moneyblog@ Today's problem is... "I was driving from Portsmouth to Guildford when my vehicle suddenly lost power in the fast lane of the M275. I managed to coast to the hard shoulder of an elevated section of the motorway. I called RAC and told them I was not in a safe place, but they took almost four hours to come rescue me and tow my vehicle. While I was waiting, two other vehicles collided while trying to avoid my broken down car. I submitted a complaint and they only offered me a two month extension on my policy (equivalent to £8). Can you help?" Jason Cost of living specialist Megan Harwood Baynes answers this one... You sent over a very detailed summary of what had happened to you. In short, you registered the breakdown at 4.11pm via the RAC app, but it took almost four hours for you to be rescued. You called the company repeatedly and were told help was minutes away, but this failed to materialise. At one point, two other vehicles collided while trying to avoid your broken-down car, further highlighting what a dangerous situation you were in. When the patrol car did arrive, you told me the engineer said it was "absolutely unbelievable that [you had] been left on a dangerous bend on a high-speed road for almost four hours". You also had to pay £148 because once you were rescued, the patrol car didn't have enough time left on shift to take you to your final destination, only a local garage, so you had to arrange separately to get your car home. All in all, this was a pretty rubbish and, at times, scary incident for you. However, when you complained to the RAC, you did not feel that the type of compensation offered was appropriate. You then filed a subject access request and were able to see all the data the RAC held about you. It showed that, at one point, a patrol car declined to attend your breakdown, but you were not given an update about this. The RAC response I reached out to the RAC to find out what had gone wrong It said: "While roadside assistance companies come to the rescue of thousands of drivers every day of the year, it's important to realise they're not an emergency service and don't have the legal right to control traffic to protect the scene of a breakdown. "As such, they can only attend live-lane breakdowns when the area has been made safe by the police or, on motorways and major A roads, the appropriate highways authority. "Only when the scene is safe should drivers contact their breakdown company." The company also reached out to you directly and was very apologetic. It told you it had let you down, both during the incident and with the handling of the subsequent complaint. Because Sky News had brought the issue to the RAC's attention, you were told the right people were now aware and would look to make sure this didn't happen again in the future. The RAC also offered you £250, which you were pleased to accept. What should you do if you break down on a motorway? A motorway can be one of the scariest places to break down, and while you would think the first thing to do would be to call your breakdown cover, you should actually call the police. Jason had broken down on a particularly dangerous part of the M275 - there wasn't really a proper hard shoulder, and so a breakdown recovery van would not have been able to stop until the scene had been made safe. This would have been the responsibility of the police. The RAC says: "It's vital after breaking down that drivers assess the safety of their situation quickly and thoroughly and take the right course of action to protect themselves and others." Here's what you should do if you find yourself in a similar situation... Stay calm and think of other road users. If you can, move your car away from other vehicles and turn your wheels to the left. Turn on your hazard lights and leave your car by the passenger side door. Put on a hi-vis jacket if you have one. If visibility is poor, keep the side lights or fog lights switched on. Do not put your warning triangle behind your car if you are on a high-speed road. Climb over a safety barrier if there is one, or try to distance yourself from passing traffic. Stand to the rear of your vehicle, away from traffic - this means if someone collides with your car, debris won't fly forward and hit you. Call the emergency services, and then contact your breakdown service. Emergency telephones are found roughly one mile apart on the motorway. What is a subject access request, and how can it help with a complaint? A subject access request gives you, the consumer, the power to ask a company: "What data do you hold about me?" Under Article 15 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), you have a right to obtain a copy of any information which relates to you, whether this is kept on a computer or in a structured manual filing system. Anyone can make a SAR, and under UK GDPR rules, the company has one month to locate, review and disclose the information. If they don't, you can make a formal complaint to the Information Commissioner's Office. The company can redact certain confidential information, but if you feel it has wrongly been redacted, you can complain to the ICO. In this instance, Jason was able to see all of the details the RAC held about his breakdown, including information he wasn't given at the time (such as the patrol car cancellation). Although the complaint was not successful until the Money team stepped in, it helped his case significantly. His next steps (as we can't always be on hand to help) would have been to take this to the Financial Ombudsman Service - the RAC has all the information about this on its website.
Auto Express
8 hours ago
- Auto Express
It's bank holiday weekend! Get ready for 'extremely busy' roads and EV chargers
Drivers are being told to brace for queues on both the motorway and at EV charging stations this August bank holiday. Over 17 million getaway trips are expected to take place between Friday and Monday. A report by the RAC and transportation analytics firm, INRIX, suggests as many as three million journeys are expected to take place on Friday alone, rising to 3.4 million on Saturday – potentially making it the busiest travel day across the long weekend. If you're planning on avoiding the worst of the traffic, the RAC says it's best to remain off the roads between 10am and 7pm on Friday, 9am and 5pm on Saturday and 11am and 6pm on Monday. Advertisement - Article continues below The best time to travel, according to the RAC, is in the evening past 7pm on Friday, or in the morning before 9am and 11am on Saturday and Monday respectively. Being bang in the middle of the weekend, Sunday's traffic is supposed to remain average. As is probably expected, the RAC anticipates the M5 heading southbound between Bristol and Devon to take the biggest brunt of the traffic as holidaymakers flood to the coast to soak up the last rays of summer sun. Delays of over 40 minutes are expected in the 50-mile stretch between junction 15 near Bristol and junction 23 for Bridgwater on Friday and Saturday, while the M20 in Kent also has the potential for queues surpassing half-an-hour. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below Team leader for mobile servicing and repairs at the RAC, Nick Mullender, said the organisation is 'expecting major roads to airports and coastal destinations to be extremely busy, especially the South East and South West regions which could end up bearing the brunt of most holiday hold-ups.' Mullender then advised 'Anyone planning routes through these areas [to] set off as early as possible or be prepared to spend longer in traffic.' As more people take to the roads over the weekend, this will ultimately result in a greater strain on the UK's public EV charging network. Chargepoint operator, BP pulse, estimates that demand could rise by more than five per cent and has thus advised drivers to try and plug-in during quieter times – typically in the early morning and late evening – in order to avoid queues. 'The August bank holiday is always a busy time on the roads, and with EVs increasingly popular, we're expecting to see higher demand for EV charging than ever before,' said bp pulse's UK general manager, Valerio Ferro. 'However, the good news is that fast charging infrastructure has continued to grow significantly over the past 12 months, and bp pulse's network is available across the UK for EV drivers to stop off and top up their battery when they need it.' As of July 2025, the number of public chargepoints across the UK grew by 27 per cent year-on-year to over 82,000 units. While it's worth pointing out that not all of these are operational at all times, operators are as of late 2023 expected by law to display at least 99 per cent reliability across their network, making it less stressful for those needing to charge up. Buy a car with Auto Express. Our nationwide dealer network has some fantastic cars on offer right now with new, used and leasing deals to choose from... Find a car with the experts Car Deal of the Day: Bag a desirable plug-in hybrid BMW X3 M Sport for less than £380 a month Car Deal of the Day: Bag a desirable plug-in hybrid BMW X3 M Sport for less than £380 a month The new BMW X3 is fresh out of the blocks, but you can already lease a well-specced one for an eye-opening £378 a month. It's our Car Deal of the Day … Best car tyres to buy now 2025: top tyres tested and reviewed Best car tyres to buy now 2025: top tyres tested and reviewed Nine brands go head to head in our annual test, but which one should you put on your car? Product group tests 13 Aug 2025 What cars qualify for the electric car grant? Full list with our best (and worst) picks What cars qualify for the electric car grant? Full list with our best (and worst) picks More than 20 electric cars are now eligible for a Government-funded discount. Which should you go for from the ever growing list?
South Wales Guardian
8 hours ago
- South Wales Guardian
Highway Code: Emergency service rules could lead to fines
The Highway Code outlines information and guidance for road users to promote the safe and efficient use of the road network. However, some parts of it may be unknown to drivers, and flouting some rules may lead to unwanted consequences. For example, in certain situations, despite letting an emergency service vehicle pass, if done improperly, it could lead to a hefty fine. The Highway Code states that drivers should look and listen for ambulances, fire engines, police, doctors or other emergency vehicles using flashing blue, red or green lights and sirens or flashing headlights. These also include Highways Agency Traffic Officer and Incident Support vehicles using flashing amber lights. It says: "When one approaches, do not panic. Consider the route of such a vehicle and take appropriate action to let it pass, while complying with all traffic signs." Despite being required to let emergency service vehicles pass in certain situations, doing so unsafely could lead to fines. UK road laws still apply and if motorists let an ambulance pass improperly, it could land them with a penalty of up to £1,000. For example, if drivers were to break the law when letting an ambulance pass, this could lead to consequences. Examples given by the RAC that could lead to heavy fines include entering a bus lane, stopping in a yellow box junction or driving through a red traffic light. It says drivers could be hit with a fixed penalty notice for £100 and three penalty points on their licence for jumping a red light – even if it's at low speed to get out of the way of an emergency vehicle. "If it goes to court, the penalty could be even bigger," the insurance company adds. Recommended reading: The Highway Code says: "If necessary, pull to the side of the road and stop, but try to avoid stopping before the brow of a hill, a bend or narrow section of road. "Do not endanger yourself, other road users or pedestrians and avoid mounting the kerb. "Do not brake harshly on approach to a junction or roundabout, as a following vehicle may not have the same view as you."
