Rules of the Road

When passing an emergency vehicle pulled over on the side of the road, did you know you're supposed to get in the left lane?

If you don't move over, there's a possibility something like this could happen. (Video shows hit patrol car) The Madison County Sheriff's Office lost a patrol car in this accident, and it's still vivid in their minds.

"I mean we're worried about officer safety, we never know who we got pulled over. Then worried about cars coming up behind us, semis coming up behind us," said Lieutenant Cameron Stanford, with the Madison County Sheriff's Office.

Getting in the left lane to pass an emergency personnel vehicle on the side of the road is fairly new rule of the road. But moving over not only could save an officer's life, it will prevent 'you' from getting a ticket. And currently there's quite a few of you violators out there, while Lieutenant Cameron Stanford and I were pulled off on the side of the road, several vehicles failed to move over.

"On most stops we will have at least one or two vehicles that will not pull over on highway 20," said Standford.

Part of the problem is people aren't parking correctly when they get pulled over. You see, they need to come all the way over into the gravel area, so there's more room, and so that there isn't as much risk they'll get hit.

"We're trying to enforce the law, we're trying to get the bad guy off the street. Get the drugs off the street. Get the drunk drivers off the street. Having to worry about vehicles coming up on the side of us, or behind us, shouldn't have to be a concern for us," said Stanford.

If you don't park far enough off the road, an officer will approach your vehicle from the passenger's window. And that doesn't mean you're safe as these graphic pictures show that were taken at the scene where a patrol car was hit. This Escalade is totaled, and it could all have been prevented if they just moved into the left lane.

And if you're trying to get out of a speeding ticket, you want to do everything you possibly can to keep an officer comfortable while he or she is talking with you.

Here's a copy of the law if you were curious:
TITLE 49 - MOTOR VEHICLES - CHAPTER 6
RULES OF THE ROAD
49-624. DRIVER DUTY UPON APPROACHING A STATIONARY POLICE VEHICLE OR AN
AUTHORIZED EMERGENCY VEHICLE DISPLAYING FLASHING LIGHTS. The driver of a motor
vehicle, upon approaching a stationary police vehicle displaying flashing
lights or an authorized emergency vehicle displaying flashing lights shall:
(1) If the driver is traveling on a highway with two (2) or more lanes
carrying traffic in the same direction, immediately reduce the speed of his
vehicle below the posted speed limit, proceed with due caution and change
lanes as soon as it is possible to do so in a manner that is reasonable and
prudent under the conditions then existing, with regard to actual and
potential hazards.
(2) If the driver is traveling on a highway with one (1) lane for each
direction of travel, immediately reduce the speed of his vehicle below the
posted speed limit, and maintain a safe speed for the road, weather and
traffic conditions until completely past the stationary police vehicle or
authorized emergency vehicle.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• car
• crash
• rules
• of
• the
• road

[FantageAwsome1004]

omfg wait where is tht if its in donna texas then that was my brother. He broke his pelvis but he's starting to walk. :o i hope that wasnt him :O

[floridaman2000]

test

[Dieselnut216]

Don't pull people over and you won't have that problem.

[99dodgeram360]

Bad ass Dodge Ram patrol