Ashland — There’s a reason emergency vehicles have flashing lights and sirens — to alert other motorists they are coming and give them ample time to respond.

According to area emergency personnel, however, motorists just aren’t getting the message or simply don’t know what to do when an emergency vehicle is approaching.

The Kentucky Revised Statue mandates that motorists within 500 feet of an emergency vehicle, with its siren on and lights flashing, yield the right-of-way by immediately driving to a position “parallel to and as close as possible to the edge or curb” of the road and clear of any intersection. Motorists are also required to stop until the vehicle has passed, except when a police officer or firefighter gives other instructions.

Boyd County EMS Director Tom Adams boils it down even further. “Turn on a signal, don’t panic. Get to the right and stop. If you do that, we’ll get around you,” he said.

The failure of motorists to properly yield the right-of-way to emergency vehicles is a “chronic problem,” according to Adams and Ashland Fire Department Senior Capt. Bob McKeon.

In addition to slowing down response times, the failure of motorists to respond properly can put the lives of first responders and other motorists at risk.

It is important for vehicles to yield to the right, McKeon said, because “We strongly discourage passing on the right in our vehicles. We drive in the left lane in four-lane traffic.”

“It’s not safe for an (emergency) vehicle to yield to the right,” Adams said adding a motorists yielding to the left can put himself in danger of being in the way of oncoming traffic.

Motorists are also encouraged to use common sense when yielding. Adams and McKeon said they have seen motorists pull over and block intersections or pull off to the left down a one-way street into moving traffic.

Creating room for emergency vehicles to pass can be somewhat of a team effort, according to Adams, especially at intersections where traffic is already stopped and on highly congested roads.

“In highly congested areas if you are in that left-hand lane and you are stuck in traffic and you can’t get over, some people will go ahead and pop through that light and get over,” McKeon said. “Anything they can do to safely get out of the way.”

Acting Ashland Police Chief Rob Ratliff echoed McKeon suggesting the same type of action. “Anything they can do safely to clear a path for an emergency vehicle,” he said.

He also said individuals in the far right turn lane should go ahead and turn the corner to allow for left-lane drivers to move over into the right-hand lane.

“Somebody has to be willing to make the first move,” he said. “You’ve seen it before when you have two people come up on an intersection at a red light and they think there’s nowhere for them to go so they just sit there.”

This forces emergency vehicles to cross into oncoming traffic, which is much more hazardous, Ratliff said. For that reason, he said, “it’s important for both sides to move right.”

Roadways that are not especially congested also prove problematic for emergency vehicles.

“Running down Greenup Avenue it’s not real busy so people don’t ever make the effort to get over; we’re basically racing them,” McKeon said. “If they won’t stop and get over it’s a drag race.”

Emergency vehicles in the left-hand lane often have problems turning right because of unaware motorists.

“Anytime (motorists) hear a siren, they should be slowing down, looking for that emergency vehicle and allow them to move on through,” Ratliff said.

In fact, simply showing acknowledgment of an emergency vehicle by turning on a blinker can help, according to the trio. Signaling allows the driver to communicate his or her intentions to the emergency driver.

CARRIE KIRSCHNER can be reached at ckirschner@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2653.