What distance should you maintain from a fire truck responding to an emergency?

Maintaining a distance of at least 20 meters or 66 feet from a responding fire truck is crucial for both your safety and the safety of emergency personnel. This space allows the fire truck to maneuver effectively and enables fire fighters to exit the vehicle quickly if needed. If you are too close, you may obstruct their access to the scene or interfere with their operations. Additionally, responding emergency vehicles often need to stop suddenly or may have unpredictable driving patterns while en route to an emergency, and sufficient distance helps reduce the risk of accidents.

The specified distance is also reflective of the guidelines commonly established in traffic safety regulations designed to protect all road users. Ensuring a safe following distance is key not just for fire trucks, but for all emergency vehicles, as they may be traveling at high speeds and require immediate access to the locations they are responding to.