"Emergency! Ambulance Approaching" Now Navigation Systems Will Alert You

by Jang Heejun

Published 19 Apr.2026 12:38(KST)

The police are launching a notification service that provides information about the approach of emergency vehicles, such as ambulances.

On April 19, the National Police Agency announced that it will begin offering a service, in collaboration with the Korea Road Traffic Authority, Gyeongnam Fire Headquarters, Daejeon City, Kakao Mobility, and others, that provides emergency vehicle location and route information, as well as 'priority signal' information, through navigation systems.

Emergency Vehicle Access Information Navigation Integration Service. National Police Agency

Previously, a priority signal system was in operation at intersections to grant green lights in advance during emergency vehicle dispatches, in order to secure optimal response times. However, there were limitations to yielding, as vehicles ahead could not be informed in advance about the approach of emergency vehicles. This system is currently in operation at 27,772 intersections nationwide.

The National Police Agency has connected the priority signal information from local traffic information centers to the navigation system via the National Urban Traffic Information Center, enabling real-time guidance on the location and route of emergency vehicles approaching from behind. The service will be piloted throughout Gyeongnam Province and in the Jungang-ro area of Daejeon.

The police expect that drivers receiving intuitive emergency vehicle approach information through their navigation systems will lead to improved compliance with optimal response times. Moving forward, the service will be further enhanced to provide dispatch information to navigation systems in nearby vehicles, including those in the opposite direction of emergency vehicle travel.

Lee Seoyoung, Director of the Traffic and Public Safety Bureau at the National Police Agency, stated, "We expect that linking the emergency vehicle priority signal system with navigation will help foster a more mature culture of yielding," and added, "We will continue our efforts to spread a culture of traffic safety."