Motorists are being urged to remember the correct procedure when an emergency vehicle draws near. The reminder follows fresh research involving 1,292 car owners, commissioned by car insurance expert MoneySuperMarket, which revealed that millions of drivers admit to panicking and executing dangerous manoeuvres upon hearing an approaching siren.
Millions admit to panic and risky moves
The new MoneySuperMarket survey found that more than 17 million (41%) motorists confessed to panicking when they detect sirens from an emergency vehicle, whether that's an ambulance, police car or fire engine.
More than one in four drivers (27%), representing 11.5 million motorists, acknowledged they had performed a risky manoeuvre, including harsh braking, swerving or mounting a kerb, when an emergency vehicle drew close, potentially heightening the danger for themselves and fellow road users.
Confidence and anxiety behind the wheel
When questioned about understanding the proper response when an emergency vehicle approaches with its siren activated, fewer than a quarter (23%) claimed they knew the appropriate reaction every time; just 4% admitted they never know how to respond correctly and more than two in five (45%) reported experiencing anxiety when they hear a siren.
Younger drivers emerged as the most vulnerable group, with those aged 18 to 24 twice as prone to feeling anxious when they hear a siren compared to the over-55s (66% vs 32%). Drivers aged 18 to 24 were also more inclined to say they had panicked and executed a risky manoeuvre than drivers aged over 55, at 54% compared with 12%.
Alicia Hempsted, car insurance expert at MoneySuperMarket, said: "Hearing a siren can make drivers feel under pressure, but sudden or unpredictable movements can create additional danger. Drivers should stay calm, check their surroundings, and make space only when it is safe and legal to do so. Knowing how to respond before an emergency vehicle approaches can help motorists act confidently while protecting other road users and emergency crews."
What to do when an emergency vehicle approaches
Rule 219 of the Highway Code advises drivers not to panic, to consider the route of the emergency vehicle and to take appropriate action to let it pass while complying with traffic signs.
In practice, this means:
- Check your mirrors and work out where the emergency vehicle is likely to go
- Indicate and move to the side of the road in a controlled way, if it’s safe to do so
- Avoid stopping in a blind spot, bend, junction or narrow stretch of road
- Never mount the kerb, block a junction or brake sharply in the middle of the road
- Do not break traffic laws to make way - running a red light, entering a bus lane, or driving into a yellow box junction are still offences, even if you’re trying to help
- Once it’s passed safely, check your mirrors again before rejoining traffic
The figures were gathered through a survey of 1,292 UK drivers (aged 18+) carried out by Censuswide, with all data accurate as of September 2026. The percentages were calculated based on more than 42 million people currently holding a full UK driving licence, according to figures from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).
Two in five respondents, 41%, admitted to feeling panicked upon hearing an approaching emergency siren. When applied to the stated licence-holder population, researchers noted this is equivalent to an estimated 17 million motorists.
