Pull to the Right for Sirens and Lights

It's not only important to pull to the right when you hear or see lights and sirens from emergency vehicles, it's THE LAW. In an emergency event, every second counts.

It's the Law

In the State of Oregon:

A person commits the offense of failure to yield to an emergency vehicle or ambulance if an ambulance or emergency vehicle that is using a visual or audible signal in a manner described under ORS 820.300 (Exemptions from traffic laws) and 820.320 (Illegal operation of emergency vehicle or ambulance) approaches the vehicle the person is operating and the person does not do all of the following:

(a)

Yield the right of way to the ambulance or emergency vehicle.

(b)

Immediately drive to a position as near as possible and parallel to the right-hand edge or curb of the roadway clear of any intersection.

(c)

Stop and remain in such position until the emergency vehicle or ambulance has passed. 

View full size image of Ambulance responding lights and sirens

When you hear and see sirens and lights while driving, it's vital that you pull over to the right and stop your vehicle so that first responders can safely pass and continue to the emergency location. 

Oregon Department of Transportation Rose Quarter Improvement Project

During ODOT's I-5 Rose Quarter Improvement Project, the southbound lanes of I-5 will be closed for up to 5 weeks. We'd like to remind motorists that it's especially important for them to pull to the right when they hear and see sirens and lights during this closure. 

See the full video of the I-5 tractor trailer fire from June 2026 here. It shows the importance of motorists moving to the right when emergency vehicles are en route to an emergency scene.