Skip to main content

Admit it, you’ve been stuck in traffic on the highway and considered taking the emergency lane to get around all the other cars. However, isn’t it illegal for drivers to use the emergency lane? Can police officers use it? 

Is it illegal for police officers to use the emergency lane?

No, it’s not illegal for police officers to use the emergency lane. It’s there for emergency vehicles like squad cars, ambulances, and firetrucks to take advantage of during emergencies. 

While police cars travel to an emergency, they are allowed to speed, run red lights, drive in the median, and drive on the shoulder lane to get to the scene of an accident as fast as possible. 

But first responders don’t always use the outside lane to get around traffic. In some states, drivers are subject to the Move Over Law. 

The law requires drivers to slow down while cautiously approaching an emergency vehicle;e that’s stopped on the shoulder of the road with its lights flashing. 

Motorists are required to move over to a different lane, away from the emergency vehicle on a multi-lane highway, or to slow down on a two-lane highway. 

Traffic driving on the highway
Traffic on the highway | iStock

If an emergency vehicle approaches from the rear you should slow pull over and stop until it passes. You may notice the flashing lights and hear the sirens from behind. 

The first responder gets to utilize all available road space. This applies to every vehicle on the road, regardless of the direction of travel. 

However, if you’re on a four-lane highway that’s divided by a median, cars traveling in the opposite direction of emergency vehicles do not have to stop. 

Failure to move out of the way can result in fines and a court appearance. It could be considered reckless or negligent driving. 

If an officer or first responder asks you to move into the emergency lane, then move over. You can also pull over on the shoulder to park and wait for help. 

The lane serves as a safe place to wait for help and allows officers to get to the scene of an accident faster. No one should use it unless there is an emergency, and civilians could get in trouble.

Best in Tips, Tricks & Trends
Avatar photo
Staff Writer

Allison Barfield

Allison Barfield joined MotorBiscuit in 2020 and covers all things trucks, SUVs, and Jeeps. Having grown up on a farm in Rock Hill, South Carolina, she’s no stranger to the “Best in Class” truck and SUV debates; people in her hometown were always gathering to help work on vehicles together, and deliberation would naturally arise.

Allison graduated from the University of South Carolina with a degree in Media Arts. She has helped bring awareness to issues Women In Trucking face and has promoted Truckers Against Trafficking, an anti-trafficking NGO.

A fan of creatively dark literature, Allison appreciates the works of Shirley Jackson and Emily Dickenson. She lives in a mountainous area of the country and enjoys off-roading and camping. Her dog, Bruce, often joins her in testing trucks and SUVs for our site.