The Vermont Statutes Online

Title 23 : Motor Vehicles

Chapter 013 : Operation of Vehicles

Subchapter 001 : GENERAL PROVISIONS

• § 1015. Authorized emergency vehicles

  (a) The driver of an authorized emergency vehicle, when responding to an emergency call or when responding to, but not returning from, a fire alarm and a law enforcement officer operating an authorized emergency vehicle in fresh pursuit of a suspected violator of the law:

  (1) may park or stand contrary to the provisions of this chapter;

  (2) may proceed past a red or stop signal or stop sign, but only after slowing down as may be necessary for safe operation;

  (3) shall come to a full stop when approaching a school bus that is flashing red lights and may proceed only when the flashing red lights are extinguished;

  (4) may exceed the maximum speed limits;

  (5) may disregard regulations governing direction of movement or turning in specified directions.

  (b) The exemptions granted to an authorized emergency vehicle apply only when the vehicle is making use of audible or visual signals meeting the requirements of this title.

  (c) The foregoing provisions shall not relieve the driver of an authorized emergency vehicle from the duty to drive with due regard for the safety of all persons nor shall such provisions protect the driver from the consequences of his or her reckless disregard for the safety of others.

  (d) The operator of a school bus, upon the approach of an authorized emergency vehicle as described in subsection (a) of this section, shall take action immediately to get school-children out of the public highway and to a safe place and shall thereafter extinguish the flashing red lights. (Added 1971, No. 258 (Adj. Sess.), § 3, eff. March 1, 1973; amended 1981, No. 97, §§ 1, 2.)