Right-of-way and intersections
You are in the middle of an intersection when a fire truck with lights and siren comes up behind you. What should you do?
- Drive out of the intersection first, then pull over to the right edge and stop. Correct answer
- Stop immediately where you are, inside the intersection.
- Back up out of the intersection to clear the way.
Why
The normal response to an emergency vehicle is to pull over safely to the right edge of the road and stop until it passes. The manual adds one exception to the order of those steps: if you are in an intersection, you first drive out of it and only then pull over. Stopping inside the intersection is exactly the step the manual tells you to skip. Backing up is not what the manual describes; it tells you to keep going until you are clear and then move right. Finish crossing, then pull to the right and stop, in that order.
Where this comes from
New York State Driver's Manual (MV-21), April 2026 version. The correct answer is Drive out of the intersection first, then pull over to the right edge and stop.
More on right-of-way and intersections
- On an ordinary two-lane local road, you come up on a tow truck stopped on the shoulder with its amber hazard lights flashing. What does the Move Over Law require of you here?
- On a multi-lane parkway, a private car with a flat tire is stopped on the shoulder. It has no emergency or hazard-vehicle lights. What does the Move Over Law ask of you?
- A private car behind you shows a flashing green light. The driver is a volunteer ambulance member. What is true about this vehicle?
- You reach the yield line of a roundabout and cars are already circling inside it. Who has the right-of-way?