Compassion and Cooperation on the Roads

Yesterday, as I drove home from TAFE, I was in the left lane at an intersection, waiting to turn left when I heard the sound of an ambulance siren fast approaching. As the ambulance came closer, myself and the other drivers lining up to turn left moved as far to the left side as possible on that single lane to allow the ambulance to slip through, and drivers going straight stopped to allow the ambulance to turn.

A kilometer or two later, at the Ocean Reef Road and Joondalup Drive intersection, I was preparing to turn left when I heard the sound of a police car siren. The police car was signalling to turn right, but both right-turn lanes had cars waiting to turn right. While I waited to turn left, I watched as the cars on the left side shifted to the left, and the cars on the right shifted to the right, allowing the police car to pass inbetween.

One often hears about road rage incidents, impatient drivers tailgating and weaving between traffic, shouting obscenities at fellow drivers. But seeing drivers cooperating with each other to allow emergency services to quickly go to the aid of someone in need, it's a reminder that the people behind the wheel are capable of being human.