CVC 21806-21807: Yielding Right-of-Way to Emergency Vehicles

In California, the law regarding failure to yield to an emergency vehicle is primarily outlined in the California Vehicle Code (CVC), specifically in Sections 21806 and 21807. These sections provide guidelines for how drivers should respond when they encounter emergency vehicles displaying emergency lights and sirens. Here's an explanation of California's law on failure to yield to an emergency vehicle:

CVC 21806 - Yielding Right-of-Way to Emergency Vehicles:

1. General Requirement (Subsection (a)):

   • Subsection (a) of CVC 21806 establishes the basic requirement that drivers must yield the right-of-way to authorized emergency vehicles when they are displaying emergency lights and sirens and are responding to an emergency call. Authorized emergency vehicles typically include police cars, fire trucks, ambulances, and other public safety vehicles.

2. Yielding When Emergency Lights and Sirens Are Activated (Subsection (b)):

   • Subsection (b) specifies that drivers must yield the right-of-way by moving to the right and stopping, if safe to do so, when they see or hear an emergency vehicle approaching from any direction and displaying emergency lights and sounding sirens. The purpose is to allow the emergency vehicle to pass safely.

3. Exceptions and Conditions (Subsection (c)):

   • Subsection (c) provides exceptions to the requirement to yield the right-of-way to emergency vehicles. Drivers may continue moving when directed to do so by a peace officer or when it is unsafe to stop, such as when they are in an intersection and it's not possible to clear the intersection safely.

CVC 21807 - Approaching Stationary Authorized Emergency Vehicles:

1. General Requirement (Subsection (a)):

   • Subsection (a) of CVC 21807 pertains to drivers approaching stationary authorized emergency vehicles, such as those at the scene of an incident. It requires drivers approaching these vehicles displaying emergency lights to safely move to another lane if possible or slow down and proceed with caution.

2. Penalties for Violation:

   • Violating CVC 21806 or 21807 by failing to yield to an emergency vehicle or failing to take the required actions when approaching a stationary emergency vehicle can result in traffic citations, fines, and potential points on your driver's license, depending on the extent of the violation.