What Do You Do When an Emergency Vehicle Is Coming From the Opposite Direction in Ontario?

Ontario's Highway Traffic Act requires drivers to yield the right-of-way to emergency vehicles that are using their lights and sirens. However, this obligation applies when the emergency vehicle is approaching from behind you or in the same direction of travel. On a divided highway with a physical barrier between opposing traffic, you are not required to pull over when the emergency vehicle is on the other side of the divide.

When an emergency vehicle (police, fire, ambulance) with active lights and siren is approaching from behind or beside you in your lane or direction, you must pull over to the right as far as practicable and stop until the vehicle has passed. Do this as quickly and safely as possible without braking suddenly in a way that endangers other road users.

At an intersection, the rule is more nuanced. If an emergency vehicle is approaching from any direction (including opposite) while you are at or in an intersection, you must clear the intersection before stopping. Do not stop mid-intersection. Pull forward through the intersection and stop on the far side, giving the emergency vehicle a clear path.

Ontario's Move Over Law is a related provision that requires drivers to slow down and move to an adjacent lane when passing emergency vehicles, tow trucks, or utility vehicles stopped on the roadside with lights flashing. This applies when you are passing from behind, not when they are in oncoming traffic. The fine for failing to move over is $490 plus three demerit points.

Traffic situations are rarely perfectly clean. If you are on an undivided road with no median and an emergency vehicle is in the oncoming lane, it may still be safest to pull right and stop even though you are not strictly required to. This gives the emergency vehicle maximum road width. Prioritise safety over strict legal technicality, and always follow any direct instructions from officers at the scene.