Emergency vehicles: penalties.

Existing law requires, upon the immediate approach of an authorized emergency vehicle that is sounding a siren and has a lighted lamp exhibiting red light, that a driver of a vehicle yield the right-of-way to the emergency vehicle, that the operator of a street car immediately stop the street car, and that all pedestrians proceed to the nearest curb or place of safety and remain there until the authorized emergency vehicle has passed. Existing law makes a violation of that provision an infraction, punishable by specified fines. This bill would prohibit a person driving a vehicle upon a highway or a pedestrian from willfully obstructing a highway, including in the course of a protest, in any manner that interferes with the ability of an authorized emergency vehicle to pass and would make a violation of this provision punishable by specified fines. By creating a new crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.