Ohio Code 4511.45 – Right-of-way of public safety or coroner’s vehicle
(A)(1) Upon the approach of a public safety vehicle or coroner’s vehicle, equipped with at least one flashing, rotating or oscillating light visible under normal atmospheric conditions from a distance of five hundred feet to the front of the vehicle and the driver is giving an audible signal by siren, exhaust whistle, or bell, no driver of any other vehicle shall fail to yield the right-of-way, immediately drive if practical to a position parallel to, and as close as possible to, the right edge or curb of the highway clear of any intersection, and stop and remain in that position until the public safety vehicle or coroner’s vehicle has passed, except when otherwise directed by a police officer.
Attorney's Note
Under the Ohio Code, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:| Class | Prison | Fine |
|---|---|---|
| Misdemeanor of the second degree | up to 90 days | up to $750 |
| Misdemeanor of the third degree | up to 60 days | up to $500 |
| Misdemeanor of the fourth degree | up to 30 days | up to $250 |
Terms Used In Ohio Code 4511.45
- highway: means the entire width between the boundary lines of every way open to the use of the public as a thoroughfare for purposes of vehicular travel. See Ohio Code 4511.01
- Intersection: means :
(1) The area embraced within the prolongation or connection of the lateral curb lines, or, if none, the lateral boundary lines of the roadways of two highways that join one another at, or approximately at, right angles, or the area within which vehicles traveling upon different highways that join at any other angle might come into conflict. See Ohio Code 4511.01
- Person: means every natural person, firm, co-partnership, association, or corporation. See Ohio Code 4511.01
- Police officer: means every officer authorized to direct or regulate traffic, or to make arrests for violations of traffic regulations. See Ohio Code 4511.01
- Property: means real and personal property. See Ohio Code 1.59
- Public safety vehicle: means any of the following:
(1) Ambulances, including private ambulance companies under contract to a municipal corporation, township, or county, and private ambulances and nontransport vehicles bearing license plates issued under section 4503. See Ohio Code 4511.01
- Right-of-way: means either of the following, as the context requires:
(1) The right of a vehicle, streetcar, trackless trolley, or pedestrian to proceed uninterruptedly in a lawful manner in the direction in which it or the individual is moving in preference to another vehicle, streetcar, trackless trolley, or pedestrian approaching from a different direction into its or the individual's path;
(2) A general term denoting land, property, or the interest therein, usually in the configuration of a strip, acquired for or devoted to transportation purposes. See Ohio Code 4511.01
- Streetcar: means a car, other than a railroad train, for transporting persons or property, operated upon rails principally within a street or highway. See Ohio Code 4511.01
- Trackless trolley: means every car that collects its power from overhead electric trolley wires and that is not operated upon rails or tracks. See Ohio Code 4511.01
- Vehicle: means every device, including a motorized bicycle and an electric bicycle, in, upon, or by which any person or property may be transported or drawn upon a highway, except that "vehicle" does not include any motorized wheelchair, any electric personal assistive mobility device, any low-speed micromobility device, any personal delivery device as defined in section 4511. See Ohio Code 4511.01
- Whoever: includes all persons, natural and artificial; partners; principals, agents, and employees; and all officials, public or private. See Ohio Code 1.02
(2) Upon the approach of a public safety vehicle or coroner’s vehicle, as stated in division (A)(1) of this section, no operator of any streetcar or trackless trolley shall fail to immediately stop the streetcar or trackless trolley clear of any intersection and keep it in that position until the public safety vehicle or coroner’s vehicle has passed, except when otherwise directed by a police officer.
(B) This section does not relieve the driver of a public safety vehicle or coroner’s vehicle from the duty to drive with due regard for the safety of all persons and property upon the highway.
(C) This section applies to a coroner’s vehicle only when the vehicle is operated in accordance with section 4513.171 of the Revised Code. As used in this section, “coroner’s vehicle” means a vehicle used by a coroner, deputy coroner, or coroner’s investigator that is equipped with a flashing, oscillating, or rotating red or blue light and a siren, exhaust whistle, or bell capable of giving an audible signal.
(D) Except as otherwise provided in this division or in section 4511.454 of the Revised Code, whoever violates division (A)(1) or (2) of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the fourth degree on a first offense. On a second offense within one year after the first offense, the person is guilty of a misdemeanor of the third degree, and, on each subsequent offense within one year after the first offense, the person is guilty of a misdemeanor of the second degree.