From next month, the Singapore Civil Defence Force’s
(SCDF) ambulances can legally beat red lights and make U-turns at
non-designated junctions, where necessary, so that they can respond
more quickly to life-threatening emergencies, SCDF announced in a
statement on Tuesday (Nov 7).
A similar exemption for other emergency vehicles
including fire engines and police vehicles is also being explored,
said Parliamentary Secretary for Home Affairs Amrin Amin in
Parliament.
Mr Amrin noted that currently, there are no exemptions
for ambulances. This means if they are booked for running a red
light or making an illegal U-turn, they need to lodge an appeal and
the Traffic Police will waive the offence if the driver was
responding to a life-threatening emergency, such as a cardiac
arrest or stroke.
By exempting such vehicles from the rules, this appeal
and waiver process can therefore be avoided, said Mr Amrin in
response to Member of Parliament Louis Ng’s (Nee Soon GRC) question
on the topic.
Hence, Singapore will follow other jurisdictions, such
as California and the United Kingdom, in instituting exemptions for
emergency vehicles, he added.
Mr Amrin stressed that other road users must still play
their part, nevertheless, by giving way to emergency vehicles “as
this can make a real difference in saving lives”.
He added that his ministry is updating the Highway Code
— a guide to inform road users of traffic rules — to include
pointers on how motorists should respond when they encounter
emergency vehicles.
He also pointed out that motorists who refuse to give
way to emergency vehicles are liable for four demerit points and a
composition fine.
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