Emergency vehicles: Highway Code rule 219

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Two questions on emergency vehicles

Question 1 of 2

1. You are stopped at a red traffic light when an ambulance using blue lights approaches from behind. Moving across the stop line would break the signal. How should you respond?

   • A Move across the line because blue lights override your red signal
   • B Drive onto the pavement to create a route past your car
   • C Enter the junction slowly if other drivers appear to be waiting
   • D Keep obeying the signal while assessing a safe way to help Right

   The right answer is D: Keep obeying the signal while assessing a safe way to help

   WhyLet emergency vehicles pass safely while continuing to comply with traffic signs and signals.

   Source: The Highway Code, rule 219, The Highway Code, rule 109

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2. You are in slow-moving traffic. What should you do to help an emergency vehicle get past?

   • A Move into the left lane to overtake
   • B Drive onto the hard shoulder
   • C Leave space so you can manoeuvre Right
   • D Pull close to the car in front

   The right answer is C: Leave space so you can manoeuvre

   WhyLeave enough space to manoeuvre if an emergency vehicle needs to get past.

   Source: The Highway Code, rule 151

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The rule in plain words

Rule 219 covers ambulances, fire engines, police, doctors and other emergency vehicles using flashing blue, red or green lights, sirens or flashing headlights. It also covers traffic officer and incident support vehicles with flashing amber lights.

When one comes up behind you, do not panic. Think about the route it needs and help it through, but keep to all traffic signs while you do. If you need to, pull to the side of the road and stop. Try not to stop just before the brow of a hill, on a bend or where the road is narrow. Do not put yourself, other drivers or pedestrians in danger, and do not mount the kerb. In the Highway Code’s words: “Do not brake harshly on approach to a junction or roundabout”.

In slow traffic, rule 151 says to leave enough space in front to move over if an emergency vehicle needs to get past.

How to let an emergency vehicle through

What it means in practice

You are first at a red light and an ambulance comes up behind

Stay behind the stop line. Rule 219 says to let it pass while still obeying all traffic signs, so do not cross on red. Keep obeying the signal while you look for a safe way to help, or wait for green.

Queuing traffic on a busy road

Leave enough of a gap to the car in front that you can move aside. Rule 151 says to leave room to manoeuvre in case an emergency vehicle needs to get past.

Approaching a roundabout with a fire engine behind

Do not brake hard just before the roundabout: the driver behind you may not see what you see. Carry on as normal and let it past where it is safe.

Common mistakes

• Driving through a red light to make way. You must still obey traffic signals.
• Stopping on a bend or just before the brow of a hill. Rule 219 says to try to avoid stopping there.
• Mounting the pavement. You could hit someone walking.
• Sudden hard braking. It can cause a crash behind you.

Questions about emergency vehicles

Should you go through a red light for an ambulance?

No. The Highway Code says to let it pass while complying with all traffic signs. Source: rule 219.

What does a green flashing light on a car mean?

Rule 219 includes flashing green lights in its list of lights used by emergency vehicles. Look and listen, and let the vehicle pass safely. Source: rule 219.

Where should you not stop to let an emergency vehicle pass?

Try to avoid stopping before the brow of a hill, on a bend or on a narrow section of road. Source: rule 219.

Read next

• Other types of vehicle theory test questions
• Attitude theory test questions
• Junctions: rules 170 to 183
• More Highway Code rules, explained

Sources

(2)

1. The Highway Code, rule 219 (emergency and incident support vehicles), GOV.UK. Checked 4 November 2026.
2. The Highway Code, rule 151 (slow-moving traffic), GOV.UK. Checked 4 November 2026.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Quotes from The Highway Code are Crown copyright. Sources and image credits.