What action should you take when an emergency vehicle is responding with lights and sirens?

When an emergency vehicle is responding with lights and sirens, the appropriate action is to pull over to the side of the road and stop. This is crucial for several reasons. First, giving way to emergency vehicles ensures that they can respond to incidents quickly and safely, which can be vital in medical emergencies, fires, or other urgent situations.

By pulling over, you are allowing the emergency vehicle to pass through traffic without obstruction, thus helping to clear the way. It's important to remain stopped until the emergency vehicle has passed and it is safe to resume driving.

Maintaining speed and continuing to drive, following closely behind the emergency vehicle, or driving in the opposite direction could create dangerous situations, not only for yourself but also for the emergency responders and other road users. These actions could hinder emergency responses and lead to accidents. Following the proper protocol of stopping and yielding the right of way is not only a matter of safety but is also enforced by law in many jurisdictions, including Washington State.