Is it legal to run a red light to make way for an ambulance or fire department?

All emergency vehicles have the right of way when in action and have their siren and flashing lights on. But is it legal to run a red light to make way for an ambulance or fire department?

Romanian law establishes that emergency vehicles have priority. Thus, if they have the sound and acoustic signals on, these vehicles are not obliged to stop at a red light.

But if you have an ambulance or fire truck behind you, can you run a red light to make way for them?

Is it legal to run a red light to make way for an ambulance or fire department?

Many drivers do not know what they should do when they see an ambulance or a fire engine.

The Bucharest Ambulance Service has published several recommendations for drivers who are in such a situation.

Here’s what you should do when there’s a tow truck behind you at the traffic light:

• pull to the right, if there is enough space to be overtaken;
• continue moving at a safe and legal speed until you find an area where you can turn right;
• don’t stop in bus lanes or bike lanes;
• if the road is wide enough, drive as close as possible to its edge;
• if the road has two lanes, drive on lane 1;
• do not stop in lane 2;
• if the traffic is blocked and you are in the second lane, position the car as far to the left of the road as possible;
• if you are stuck in the first lane, position the car as far to the right as possible.

Also, if the light is red, don’t try to pass to make way for the ambulance or fire department.

„Do not cross the intersection on red in an attempt to make way for the ambulance, because it is a misdemeanor. If it’s safe, only the ambulance will do that. If not, it will wait until it is safe to cross“, states the Bucharest Ambulance Service in a post on Facebook.

So it is not legal to run a red light to make way for emergency vehicles, even when they are on duty.

What penalty do drivers who run a red light face?

By law, when the traffic light is red, you do not have the right of way.

„At the red light, the vehicle must be stopped before the stop sign or, as the case may be, for the crossing of pedestrians, and in its absence, next to the traffic light. If the traffic light is installed above or on the other side of the intersection, in the absence of the marking for stopping or for pedestrians to cross, the vehicle must stop before the edge of the carriageway of the road to be crossed“, establishes Art. 83, para. (2), from the traffic law.

Drivers who run red lights put their lives at risk, as well as the lives of other road users.

The penalty for running a red light is 4-5 fine points and suspension of the license for 30 days. Currently, the fine point is capped at 165 lei.

In what situations can drivers “run red” at traffic lights

The traffic law provides several situations in which drivers can enter the intersection, even if the traffic light is red.

Drivers can run a red light when:

• the traffic light is not addressed to them (in intersections with two or more traffic lights, one for each direction);
• they turn right and have an additional flashing green traffic light;
• the traffic light is not on a public road;
• traffic is directed by a police officer who allows access to the intersection.

Also, even if the driver has a medical or other emergency, it is not legal to run a red light.