They have always existed to try and prevent abuse of the Blue lighting system.

I spent a long time working with/for the bomb disposal/SF'S and everyday we used to recieve a pile of photos and traffic summons for our emergency response cars and trucks. As usual they were always written off but it was a waste of time and money.

The funniest thing being when Devon and Cornwall Police pulled over and ticketed a bomb disposal van on the way back from a job.

They then wondered why everytime they found a hand grenade or bomb for the next year the team could not attend immediately or till the next morning meaning they had to have a copper stood by the offending item all night

Like I say all the pulling out the way and risking alloys/a ticket/an accident is personal choice.(all I said is what kind person are you?! ) I think the accident risk is very unlikely. Drivers who have done a blue light course are highly trained and would not expect you to put yourself at risk. The system is usually flexible if you can prove you were in the right.