Gaimen50-question practice tests in the real exam formatWhat does 緊急自動車 (kinkyū jidōsha) mean? Emergency vehicles
Updated: 2026-10
緊急自動車 (きんきゅうじどうしゃ, kinkyū jidōsha) means an emergency vehicle: a fire engine, ambulance, police car or other vehicle specified by cabinet order, driven on emergency duty with its siren sounding and red warning light on. The test focuses on one distinction: near an intersection you avoid the intersection, pull to the left and stop; elsewhere you just pull to the left and give way, with no duty to stop.
Legal definition
Article 39(1) of the Road Traffic Act (道路交通法) defines 緊急自動車 as a fire engine, ambulance or other vehicle specified by cabinet order that is being driven for its emergency duty in the manner set by cabinet order. The type of vehicle is not enough; it must be on an emergency run.
That manner is sounding the siren (サイレン) and turning on the red warning light (赤色の警光灯) (Enforcement Order 道路交通法施行令, Art. 14). The exception: a police car enforcing speed limits may omit the siren when especially necessary.
| Group | Examples (from Enforcement Order Art. 13) |
|---|---|
| Fire and ambulance | Fire engines, ambulances |
| Police etc. | Police cars used for criminal investigation or traffic enforcement; prosecutors' investigation vehicles |
| Utilities etc. | Electricity and gas emergency repair vehicles, urgent transport of blood products for transfusion, road administrators' emergency vehicles |
How to yield when an emergency vehicle approaches
What you must do depends on where you are (Art. 40). This is the most tested point.
On a one-way road, if pulling left would block the emergency vehicle, pull to the right instead. When other firefighting vehicles (消防用車両) approach, you must also avoid the intersection and stop when at or near one (Art. 41-2).
| Location | What to do |
|---|---|
| At or near an intersection | Avoid the intersection, pull to the left side and stop (一時停止) |
| Anywhere else | Pull to the left and give way (no duty to stop) |
| One-way road where moving left would block it | Pull to the right |
| Expressway, emergency vehicle entering or leaving the main lanes (本線車道) | Do not obstruct it (Art. 75-6) |
What only emergency vehicles may do
When necessary, an emergency vehicle may cross into the right half of the road, and it need not stop where the law otherwise requires a stop (such as a red light), but it must then watch other traffic and proceed slowly (徐行) (Art. 39). Some rules, such as road closures and lane-by-direction designations, do not apply to it (Art. 41).
Its speed limit is 80 km/h on ordinary roads and 100 km/h on national expressway main lanes (Enforcement Order Art. 12(3), Art. 27(2)). If it is involved in an accident but must keep driving for its duty, the driver may have other crew give aid and report instead (Art. 72(4)).
How it appears on the knowledge test, and the traps
Questions usually pair a place with an action. Swapping the place and the action makes a false statement.
- 'Even away from intersections you must pull left and stop' → False (pulling left and giving way is enough)
- 'Near an intersection, avoid it, pull left and stop' → True
- 'On a one-way road, pull right if pulling left would block it' → True
- 'At an intersection with lanes designated by direction, you must keep to your lane even when yielding to an emergency vehicle' → False (you may leave it to yield)
- 'Stop inside the intersection to clear the way' → False (avoid the intersection)
Similar terms that are different
A fire engine or police car driving normally, without siren or red light, does not get emergency-vehicle privileges (except the speed-enforcement case above).
A route bus (路線バス) signaling to pull out from a stop has a different kind of priority: vehicles behind must not obstruct it unless that would require sudden braking or steering, but there is no duty to stop (Art. 31-2).
Practice questions using this term
- At an intersection where lanes are designated by direction of travel, you must follow the designated lane even when giving way to an emergency vehicle.
- When an emergency vehicle approaches somewhere other than at or near an intersection, you must pull over to the left side of the road and come to a complete stop.
- When an emergency vehicle approaches while you are at or near an intersection, you must keep clear of the intersection, pull over to the left side of the road, and stop.
- On a one-way road, if pulling over to the left would actually get in the emergency vehicle's way, you pull over to the right to give way.
FAQ
Q. Do I have to stop if an emergency vehicle comes when I'm far from an intersection?
A. Legally, pulling to the left and giving way is enough. A full stop is required at or near an intersection.
Q. Is an ambulance without its siren a 緊急自動車?
A. An emergency vehicle is one on emergency duty with siren and red light. The exception is a police car enforcing speed limits.
Q. May emergency vehicles go through a red light?
A. They need not stop, but they must watch other traffic and proceed slowly (徐行).