Does speed really matters during an active emergency response?

Public safety units follow standard operating procedures (SOPs) that authorize the activation of emergency lights and sirens, as well as the use of legally granted privileges, to reach the incident scene as quickly as possible. The rapid arrival and coordinated actions of emergency services can significantly reduce immediate threats to safety, limit the progression and severity of emergency situations, and decrease the extent of damage to property.[1] In the context of medical emergencies, shorter response time has been associated with improved survival and better clinical outcomes for patients at the incident scene[2], however the clinical benefit is limited to a small subset of time-critical cases, and must be weighed against increased crash risk.[3] [4] [5]

Moreover, operating under these SOPs and emergency driving privileges is associated with an increased risk that ambulances will be involved in, or contribute to, vehicle-related crashes.[6] [7] Numerous studies have documented and have identified contributing factors related to the operator’s behavior, and the surrounding traffic and roadway environment. [8] 

[1] RapidSOS, Quantifying the Impact of Emergency Response Times (San Francisco, CA: RapidSOS, 2015), 12–14, https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/549701/Documents/RapidSOS_Outcomes_White_Paper_-_2015_4.pdf.

[2] S. Damdin et al., “Effects of Emergency Medical Service Response Time on Survival Rate of Out‑of‑Hospital Cardiac Arrest Patients: a 5‑Year Retrospective Study,” Archives of Academic Emergency Medicine 13, no. 1 (2025): e36, https://doi.org/10.22037/aaemj.v13i1.2596.

[3] Douglas F. Kupas, Lights and Siren Use by Emergency Medical Services (EMS) (Washington, DC: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2017), https://www.ems.gov/assets/Lights_and_Sirens_Use_by_EMS_May_2017.pdf.

[4] National EMS Quality Alliance. Improving Safety in EMS: Reducing the Use of Lights and Siren. Falls Church, VA: National EMS Quality Alliance, 2024. Accessed April 10, 2026. https://nemsqa.memberclicks.net/assets/LSChangePackage/Improving%20Safety%20in%20EMS%20Reducing%20the%20Use%20of%20Lights%20and%20Siren.pdf.

[5] Douglas F. Kupas et al., Joint Statement on Lights & Siren Vehicle Operations on Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Responses (February 14, 2022, https://ambulance.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/2022.02.14-Joint-Statement-on-Red-Light-and-Siren-Operations-with-Logos-FINAL.pdf.

[6] National Association of EMS Physicians. “Article Bites #36: Is Using of Warning Lights and Sirens Associated with Increased Risk of Ambulance Crashes? A Contemporary Analysis Using National EMS Information System (NEMSIS) Data.” NAEMSP, February 24, 2022. https://naemsp.org/2022-2-25-article-bites-36-is-using-of-warning-lights-and-sirens-associated-with-increased-risk-of-ambulance-crashes-a-contemporary-analysis-using-national-ems-information-system-nemsis-data/.

[7] Alsofayan Y, Alhajjaj FS, Alowais JM, et al. “The Epidemiology of Prehospital Ambulance Crashes: A National Experience Across Saudi Red Crescent Authority.” Cureus 15, no. 7 (2023): e42049. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.42049.

[8] Abdelwanis, Mohamed Ahmed. Characteristics and Contributing Factors of Emergency Vehicle Crashes. PhD diss., Clemson University, 2013. https://open.clemson.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2224&context=all_dissertations.