JOHOR: A black Mercedes with a Singapore license plate was caught on camera failing to give way to an ambulance trying to enter its lane.
The video uploaded on the Facebook page We are Malaysians has gone viral, with over 45,000 views to date.
The Singapore-registered vehicle was in front of the cam car as a Kempas Medical Centre ambulance entered from the left with the intent to filter into the same lane.
As the road towards Woodlands was congested, it appeared that the Mercedes driver didn’t want anyone cutting in and accelerated forward.
The Mercedes continued to inch forward even though the ambulance was nearly entirely inside the lane.
At one point, the two vehicles looked like they hit each other and came to a stop.
The ambulance driver was seen sticking his hand out the window and gesturing at the Mercedes driver.
Towards the end of the 30-second clip, the Mercedes yielded and let the ambulance enter the lane.
Netizens quickly slammed the Mercedes driver for being inconsiderate towards an emergency vehicle, even though its emergency lights weren’t fully turned on and just flickered faintly.
Although some noted that ambulance drivers still had to follow traffic rules and refrain from cutting into a lane, many highlighted that it was basic road etiquette to give way to emergency vehicles whether the lights were on or off.
Others noted that the lights might have been turned off, but there was no way to confirm if the siren was also off as the video had no audio.
Even when in doubt, it is best to give way to emergency vehicles such as fire department vehicles, police vehicles and ambulances to allow them to reach calls for service promptly and perform tasks efficiently./TISG