It's the Law

Police officers are shot at, kicked, hit, and spit upon. They respond to many emergencies and perform tasks that are often life threatening. That is the nature of the job. However, in my opinion there is nothing more hazardous then stopping a car, investigating a traffic collision, or working traffic control on a freeway or high speed roadway. My hat is certainly off to members of the California Highway Patrol who do it all the time. Police officer injury and fatality statistics back up my paranoid thoughts regarding the vulnerability of being on foot among vehicles traveling 60 and 70 miles per hour.

Many drivers do not know that they are required to use extreme caution and change lanes - if safely possible - when approaching stationary emergency or tow vehicles on a freeway when their emergency lights are flashing.

Vehicle Code section 21809(a) states: A person driving a vehicle on a freeway approaching a stationary authorized emergency vehicle that is displaying emergency lights, or a stationary tow truck that is displaying flashing amber warning lights, shall approach with due caution and, before passing in a lane immediately adjacent to the authorized emergency vehicle or tow truck, absent any other direction by a peace officer, proceed to do one of the following:

(1) Make a lane change into an available lane not immediately adjacent to the authorized emergency vehicle or tow truck with due regard for safety and traffic conditions, if practicable and not prohibited by law.

(2) If the maneuver described in paragraph (1) would be unsafe or impracticable, slow to a reasonable and prudent speed that is safe for existing weather, road, and vehicular or pedestrian traffic conditions.