Watch out! Ford's new tech helps make way for ambulances

Everyone knows that when flashing blue lights appear in your rear-view mirror, you get right out of the way. Sharpish. You do not – Vauxhall Mokka drivers, we're looking at you – panic-stop in the middle of the road.

Ford knows this is a problem, so together with Vodafone it’s developed a system that alerts drivers to approaching police cars, fire engines and ambulances, and tells them exactly how to get out of the way. The system, which is currently undergoing testing in Germany, helps drivers form an “emergency corridor” in between lanes of traffic, giving the emergency services an unimpeded route through.

In some countries, like Germany, drivers are legally required to form an emergency corridor in stationary traffic, but surveys show almost half of them don’t know how. Ford’s system uses the infotainment screen to warn of an approaching emergency vehicle, and tells the driver how they can move out of the way without causing an obstruction. Ford says this tech could be especially useful in towns and cities, where it might not be immediately obvious which direction an approaching siren is coming from.

This tech isn’t production ready just yet, and Ford doesn’t say if/when it’ll be commercially available. It’s a good idea though, so here’s to hoping it’s not long. And that it'll be available in Vauxhalls too.