Ambulance death: Make way for life

It took 40 full minutes to travel less than 3 kilometers from the site of the accident to hospital. As few cars gave way to the ambulance despite ringing sirens, Wang Yuzhu, a doctor at Beijing Emergency Medical Center, helplessly watched a life passing away before her eyes.

It was not the only case. On the morning of Nov. 28, 2012, a car accident occurred in the intersection of Nanyuan Road, Beijing, injuring three people. Although the ambulances had been ringing sirens on the way to the scene of accident, few cars gave way to them. The first-aid personnel had to ask traffic police for help. Netizens mock the phenomenon as "Chinese-style cutting-up of the road," which is similar to "Chinese style of crossing roads," namely the way of crossing a road by a group of people who get together at the crossroads and cross the road altogether, no matter whether the traffic light is green or red.

No giving way to ambulances, which led to delay in rescuing patients, the drivers may bear the "debt of conscience." However, giving way to ambulances is not only drivers' moral obligation but also their legal obligation. According to the Road Traffic Safety Law, vehicles including police cars, fire engines, ambulances and engineering rescue vehicles can use sirens and identification lamps when they are performing an urgent task and are free from the restrictions of driving routes, directions, speeds and signal lights. Other vehicles and pedestrians must give way to them. Otherwise, they shall be punished by law. The Public Security Administration Punishment Law stipulates: Anyone or vehicles impeding the implementation of urgent tasks shall be given a punishment of warning or fined below 200 yuan. If circumstances are serious, they will be detained for 5 to 10 days and fined below 500 yuan.

Today, it is not difficult to find vehicles not giving way as there are so many cameras on the roads. The traffic police department should treat it seriously. Of course, the relevant rules of road also need to be improved. For example, there must be specific provisions about giving way to special vehicles. According to German Highway Code, any other vehicles must give way when an emergency vehicle rings sirens, with cars on left lane closing to the left and that of right lane closing to the right. The Road Traffic Safety Law of China is also necessary to formulate detailed provisions and include them in the required courses for driving school.

In addition, it must ensure the "legitimacy" of special vehicles. One of the important reasons that drivers and pedestrians do not give way to the special vehicles including ambulances is that they suffer from a "sirens' panic." Nowadays, the police cars are frequently used for clearing the way for officials and stars. The special vehicles become privileged cars, leading to ignoring of the public to them.

Detailed provisions must be formulated to punish the privileged vehicles. The laws and regulations such as the Road Traffic Safety Law should have specific provisions for the abuse of privileges of special vehicles and make a punishment to them. Meanwhile, the traffic police department should increase efforts to investigate and deal with false police cars, military vehicles and illegal ambulances.