AUSTRIA, NEW TRAFFIC REGULATIONS 2012

Emergency corridor: mandatory since 1 January

Since 1 January 2012, all vehicles on motorways and speedways in Austria are required to form an emergency corridor ("Rettungsgasse") in case of traffic congestion. The new system is designed to allow ambulances, fire engines and other emergency vehicles to travel freely to the sites of road accidents, reaching the scene up to four minutes faster than normal and increasing chances of survival for the victims by 40 per cent. The system has already been successfully introduced in Germany, Switzerland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia. To form an emergency corridor on a two-lane motorway or speedway  ("Autobahn" or "Schnellstraße"), keep as far to the left as possible when in the left lane and as far to the right when in the right lane – always parallel to the lane, and using the hard shoulder ("Pannenstreifen") if necessary.

The same applies to three lane motorways, with vehicles on the left lane moving to the left and vehicles on all other lanes moving to the right. The emergency corridor is exclusively for emergency services like ambulances, the fire brigade and the police, as well as road service and breakdown service vehicles. Other drivers must not use the corridor or otherwise obstruct emergency vehicles.

Fines

Drivers who use the emergency corridor without permission, for instance to speed past the traffic jam, may be hit with a hefty fine of up to EUR 2,180 if they obstruct an emergency vehicle. Even if no emergency vehicle is involved, the maximum fine is still as high as EUR 726.

Source: Wien gv.at, Austria

See video - Emergency Corridor, how to proceed