#DejaPaso, this is the new campaign to raise awareness of the importance of giving way to emergency vehicles

The Community of Madrid has presented its new road safety campaign, which aims to raise drivers’ awareness of the importance of giving way to emergency vehicles. Under the slogan #DejaPaso, the campaign seeks to inform all road users that a simple gesture can save lives, since time is key to reducing road traffic fatalities.

From the Madrid Safety and Emergency Agency 112, they have stated that “the survival of an injured person is closely linked to a rapid transfer to a hospital or to the assistance of a mobile ICU at the scene of the accident”. Emergency experts place great importance on the “Golden Hour”, and in the 60 minutes following an accident, up to 75% of road traffic fatalities occur.

#DejaPaso, this is the new road safety campaign

As they have pointed out, “proper behaviour at the wheel, correctly yielding to an emergency vehicle in a traffic jam or at an accident, helps to reduce the time taken to attend to victims”. The aim of this new campaign, #DejaPaso, is to inform and raise awareness among drivers of how to act in these situations, where facilitating the passage of emergency services is essential.

🚨 How should you act on the road when emergency vehicles are present?

👉 @112cmadrid has prepared a campaign on the actions drivers should take on roads when they encounter this type of situation

➕ https://t.co/3QTxr4dK9y#DejaPaso pic.twitter.com/HODkUXHUa5

— Transportes e Infraestructura▪️Comunidad de Madrid (@Transportes_CM) March 17, 2022

This concept is not new: the Directorate-General for Traffic (DGT) calls it Efecto Pasillo. Regardless of the name we give it, the responsibility lies with drivers, and it must be clear how to act when seeing and/or hearing an emergency vehicle. How should one act?

• On two-lane roads: vehicles travelling in the left lane move onto the left hard shoulder, while those travelling in the right lane do the same with the right hard shoulder.
• On three-lane roads: those travelling on the left move onto their hard shoulder, while those in the right and centre lanes must move over to the right.
• On two-way roads: vehicles will occupy the edges of the lane they are travelling in.

The result of these manoeuvres is to leave a corridor through which emergency vehicles can advance safely and much faster. In addition, the General Traffic Regulations include this in their provisions. “You must facilitate their passage by moving to your right or stopping if necessary”.