Get out of the way HOW? The streets are jammed, there is no where to pull over. If there is a lane to move over to, people do, but usually you can’t move any better than the ambulance can.
When I was a kid, I was visiting relatives in some other city, and as we were driving down a road, and at the crest of a hill, we heard some emergency vehicles coming up behind us. My grandfather pointed through the windshield, and said “Watch!” and we watched as all the traffic lights down the road all turned green at once, and the firetruck drove straight through. Presumably the lights all went back to normal after he cleared the area.
They should be able to do that in NYC in extreme emergencies. If someone is just having a normal baby delivery, maybe it’s not necessary to flip all the lights, but if someone is actively dying, throw the switch, and race to the hospital.
Pretty sure fire trucks, ambulances, and cop cars in NYC can all do that. The issue isn’t the lights, it’s that drivers in NYC often can’t (No curb space) or won’t (Far enough away that they’re convinced it isn’t their problem yet) pull out of the way.
Get out of the way HOW? The streets are jammed, there is no where to pull over. If there is a lane to move over to, people do, but usually you can’t move any better than the ambulance can.
When I was a kid, I was visiting relatives in some other city, and as we were driving down a road, and at the crest of a hill, we heard some emergency vehicles coming up behind us. My grandfather pointed through the windshield, and said “Watch!” and we watched as all the traffic lights down the road all turned green at once, and the firetruck drove straight through. Presumably the lights all went back to normal after he cleared the area.
They should be able to do that in NYC in extreme emergencies. If someone is just having a normal baby delivery, maybe it’s not necessary to flip all the lights, but if someone is actively dying, throw the switch, and race to the hospital.
Pretty sure fire trucks, ambulances, and cop cars in NYC can all do that. The issue isn’t the lights, it’s that drivers in NYC often can’t (No curb space) or won’t (Far enough away that they’re convinced it isn’t their problem yet) pull out of the way.