The corridor of life - how and when to create it?
Content
Seconds decide about life - this is a well-known cliché. As cliché as he may seem, it's hard to disagree with him. Therefore, it is surprising that until now the corridor of life has remained a custom in Poland. In just a few months, this legal gap will be filled by a corresponding regulation. How to facilitate the work of emergency services and when will the “corridor of life” come into force? Read our post and don't interfere.
Shortly speaking
Is the road blocked? Take action before you even hear the siren of the emergency vehicle. Although until now the corridor of life in Poland has remained a custom, from October 1, 2019 it will receive a legal basis. To properly form it, when driving on the left lane, you need to leave as close to the left edge as possible, and when driving on the right or middle - the right exit.
The corridor of life saves ... life
Traffic jams and repairs are common on Polish expressways. Low capacity due to narrow expressways increases the risk that emergency services will not arrive on time. Sometimes bad weather or a broken car is enough for cars to get stuck in traffic for several kilometers.... When an accident occurs at the beginning of this line of cars and the drivers don't know how to react, the ambulance may not be able to make it in time to save someone's life. Despite the fact that a loud siren sounds from afar, and the headlights of cars in a traffic jam flash in the rear-view mirrors, spends valuable minutes fighting congestion... That is why it is so important for every motorist to know how to properly form the corridor of life.
Corridor of Life - legal changes from October 1, 2019
On July 2, 2019, the Ministry of Infrastructure published a bill regulating the obligation to create vital corridors to facilitate the passage of emergency vehicles. New recipes will enter into force on October 1, 2019..
How to understand the new law? When approaching a traffic jam, the driver on two-lane and wider roads, those driving on the leftmost lane must turn left, and the rest - right.... If those driving in the final lane are allowed to pull up to the side of the road or in the middle, they must do so. This simple maneuver will shorten the travel time for emergency services, what can increase the chances of survival of a person awaiting help. When you signal a privileged vehicle, you need to form a corridor of life with other drivers so that it can quickly and efficiently reach its destination and then return to the previously occupied lane. The new law means that drivers must create an "extra" lane before emergency services hear about it - when driving in traffic jams.
An ambulance is not only an ambulance
It is worth knowing that an ambulance not only ambulance, police and fire brigades, but also:
- Border guards,
- city guard units;
- persons authorized to carry out mining and water rescue operations,
- chemical rescue teams,
- Inspection of road transport,
- National Park Service,
- State Security Service,
- Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland,
- Homeland Security Agency,
- Foreign Intelligence Agency,
- Central Anti-Corruption Bureau,
- Military counterintelligence service,
- Military Intelligence Service,
- Prison service,
- National Tax Administration and
- any other units that are used to save human life or health and are not mentioned in the previous sections.
So, in accordance with the road code - all "vehicle emitting light signals in the form of blue flashing lights and simultaneously sound signals of different heights, moving with the dipped or main beam headlights on“. As well as a vehicle in a column of cars, in front of which ambulances will stand, which will emit additional red light signals.
Driving culture in Poland is just beginning
While shaping a corridor of life seems obvious and straightforward, the Internet is unfortunately full of records of drivers' behavior on the road that are disgusting and anxious, while at the same time indicating a complete lack of empathy. It happens that drivers, regardless of alarms, use the formed passage for your own convenience, often blocking each other and thus preventing the passage of emergency services. There are also known situations when drivers tried to turn back from a busy expressway or motorway to the nearest exit, overcoming the tide – for example, in March 2018 at the height of Novostava Dolnia in the Lodz Voivodeship.
Plus, good intentions don't always help. Drivers wishing to facilitate the passage of ambulances heading in the wrong laneand, as a result, you force the wheel to move in slalom or, unfortunately, block the road. It is enough for one car to cross the path of emergency services for the ambulance to record a few seconds of loss on the route. And this often affects someone's life, especially with a ten-kilometer drive outside the building zone. This is why it is so necessary to understand and follow the new recipe.
Of course, this has a huge impact on driving safety beyond driver skills and random events. technical condition of the car... If you want to take care of your car in the best possible way, you need to remember to check it regularly and do not postpone the replacement of used parts and fluids. On avtotachki.com you will find them at attractive prices.
You may be interested in our other articles on road safety:
Thunderstorm in the car. 8 tips on how to behave during a violent storm
10 things to check before a long trip
How to drive in strong gusts of wind?
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