When you see flashing lights, by law you must slow down to 60 km/h or you could be slapped with a fine and demerits, but the question raised by many is: what's the rule when you're an extra lane over from the emergency vehicle?

A local police officer finally gives some clarification to the question.

Protective Services Coordinator for the M.D. of Foothills Darlene Roblin says if you're on a multi-lane highway and an extra lane over, the rules are different.

"If people move over to another lane that is not adjacent to where the emergency vehicle with the activated emergency lighting is situated, then they don't have to slow to 60", Roblin says.

With the more lenient rules for the extra lane of traffic, Roblin says you can be faster in that lane, but you shouldn't be going typical highway speeds.

"When we see emergency lights flashing, whether it's a traffic stop by a enforcement officer or whether we have fire, ambulance, or tow trucks on scene at an incident and whether you're two lanes over, you don't necessary have to slow to 60, but we ask people to be very cautious."

Roblin says when the flashing emergency lights do come on for any situation, those driving can be distracted by wondering what's going on, and that can lead to the slow downs in the extra lanes which can be dangerous if people are not paying attention.

Roblin says the main thing to take away from all of it is when emergency vehicle(s) lights are flashing to simply be aware of the surroundings and use discretion in your speed on the road.

"That two or three minutes you might gain by speeding by a zone or going past an emergency scene faster than is reasonably safe to do so is just not worth it," she says. "Slow down, give us room to work, do our jobs safely, and you'll get to your destination soon enough."

If caught speeding past an emergency vehicle, it's just like going through a construction zone: the fines are double.

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