It depends on your location and how the road is divided. The most detailed supplied explanation is specific to Washington: it says drivers on the same roadway should yield to an approaching emergency vehicle, even if it is coming from the opposite direction. In that explanation, a median separates the opposing sides into different roadways, so drivers on the other roadway do not need to pull over. Rules may differ elsewhere, so check your current state driver handbook or traffic law for the rule that applies to you.
Do you have to stop for an ambulance coming the other way?
For Washington, The Wise Drive’s explanation of the state’s emergency-vehicle law says drivers must yield by moving to the right side of the roadway, staying clear of intersections, and remaining stopped until the emergency vehicle has passed. It says this applies whether the emergency vehicle is approaching from behind or from the opposite direction, and whether the roadway has two lanes or more.
The important distinction in that explanation is not simply whether the road has four lanes. It is whether the opposing directions are part of the same roadway or are separated by a median. On an undivided road, the Washington explanation treats both directions as using the same roadway. If a median separates the opposing sides, it treats them as separate roadways, so pulling over on the other side would not create room for the ambulance.
What about a four-lane road or a road with a median?
A four-lane road does not, by itself, settle the question under the Washington explanation. If there is no median separating the opposing directions, that source says drivers on the roadway should yield even when the emergency vehicle is coming toward them. If a median separates the directions, it says drivers on the other roadway do not need to pull over.
That is a Washington-specific explanation, not a nationwide rule. The supplied Boardman Township Fire Department FAQ gives broader advice to pull over and stop when an emergency vehicle approaches from the opposite direction. Its brief guidance does not resolve every median-related situation or establish the law for all jurisdictions.
Do the rules differ by state?
The available information does not establish one rule that applies in all 50 states. The detailed roadway-and-median explanation above concerns Washington, while the Boardman Township FAQ offers general opposite-direction guidance without providing a state-by-state legal comparison. Do not assume that one source’s wording settles the rule where you drive.
For a definitive local answer, consult your state’s current driver handbook or traffic law, especially if you regularly drive on divided roads. Local rules may determine how a median or barrier affects the duty to yield.
How to yield safely
- When required to yield, move toward the right side of the roadway if you can do so safely.
- Keep intersections clear, and remain stopped until the emergency vehicle has passed when the applicable rule calls for it.
- Do not brake or swerve abruptly, enter an intersection, or make another hazardous move to get out of the way. Follow directions from emergency personnel and respond to the traffic around you.
These points concern ambulances and other emergency vehicles. School-bus stopping rules are a separate traffic-law question and should be checked in the driver handbook for your location.