Understanding Amarillo’s School Zone Laws for Emergency Vehicles

Recently, I received a text from a friend wondering about the legality of emergency vehicles driving through an Amarillo school zone. We all know, as regular Amarillo citizens, that when you approach a school zone with flashing lights, you have to slow down.

The posted speed limit in those zones when flashing is usually twenty miles per hour. We slow down, or we can be prepared to see flashing lights behind us, forcing us to slow down with a hefty fine.

What happens when those emergency vehicles already have those lights and sirens on as they are heading to an emergency call? Do the police, firefighters, paramedics, or any emergency vehicle have to slow down and follow the traffic law of the school zone light?

That is an interesting question. My friend was traveling to pick up her child from school one day in Amarillo. She saw emergency vehicles approaching the school zone. What she witnessed was something I didn't expect.

I was taking my daughter her lunch and getting my son when an ambulance and a fire truck came through. The 20 mph light was on, so they wound down the sirens and kept their flashing lights on but slowed down. My thing is if they have their sirens on and some kid walks in front of them and gets hit, that's on the kid. I feel that precious time could cut into the time they need to be tending to a patient or victim.

So we started discussing if that was something they had to do. We don't know the nature of the call they were on. Maybe they knew the severity and that they didn't need to risk the lives of anyone to get there.

Do Emergency Vehicles Have to Slow Down in a School Zone While On a Call?

They do not legally have to stop when they approach the school zone. They are still allowed to ignore traffic laws like any other traffic situation. They do have to give due regard to the traffic.

What does that actually mean?  A widely accepted way of determining "due regard" is, "A reasonably careful man performing similar duties and under the same circumstances, would act in the same manner."

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Emergency vehicles need to be aware of the safety of others and act accordingly. While I was talking to a police officer friend of mine who was explaining emergencies in this situation, he told me about a recent chase.

He was after a suspect that did bring him to a school zone. He did recognize that fact, and it did make him nervous, as one would expect. He did not slow down in the zone, but he did pay special attention to nobody being in danger. He got his guy, and nobody was harmed.

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Emergency vehicles have to do their jobs, but also be as safe as possible. They don't want another situation caused by them that they have to show up to. At the end of the day, they want everyone in the city they protected safe.