1 00:00:02,040 --> 00:00:07,000 Speaker 1: Welcome to brain Stuff from How Stuff Works. Hey, brain Stuff, 2 00:00:07,040 --> 00:00:10,520 Speaker 1: it's Christian Seger here. Imagine this. You're in your car. 3 00:00:10,760 --> 00:00:13,080 Speaker 1: You've got places to go and people to see, yet 4 00:00:13,119 --> 00:00:17,360 Speaker 1: you're stuck inching along the interstate at barely a snail's pace. 5 00:00:17,800 --> 00:00:21,439 Speaker 1: Your exit looms, but it's still relatively far away, and 6 00:00:21,480 --> 00:00:25,400 Speaker 1: the empty shoulder commonly known to drivers as the emergency lane, 7 00:00:25,600 --> 00:00:29,440 Speaker 1: beckons you. You'd be reducing congestion if you drove on 8 00:00:29,480 --> 00:00:33,080 Speaker 1: the shoulder right. What harm could it possibly do? Well? 9 00:00:33,360 --> 00:00:36,520 Speaker 1: A lot, As it turns out. Katie Fallon, the public 10 00:00:36,560 --> 00:00:40,199 Speaker 1: information officer with the Georgia Governor's Office of Highway Safety, 11 00:00:40,640 --> 00:00:44,279 Speaker 1: says this lane is for emergency use only and not 12 00:00:44,400 --> 00:00:47,479 Speaker 1: for general travel. It does not matter if you're just 13 00:00:47,560 --> 00:00:50,360 Speaker 1: trying to pass someone. Here's a case in point. A 14 00:00:50,440 --> 00:00:55,720 Speaker 1: July dump truck crash on Interstate eighty five in Fairburn, 15 00:00:55,960 --> 00:01:00,440 Speaker 1: Georgia inspired a number of motorists to hit the shoulder 16 00:01:00,760 --> 00:01:04,600 Speaker 1: instead of waiting in traffic like everyone else. Their actions 17 00:01:04,640 --> 00:01:11,120 Speaker 1: caused major disruptions. Fairbird Deputy Chief Anthony Bazidlow told WSBTV 18 00:01:11,600 --> 00:01:14,759 Speaker 1: they had a hero unit that was prevented from getting 19 00:01:14,800 --> 00:01:17,480 Speaker 1: to the scene as well as an ambulance that was 20 00:01:17,520 --> 00:01:19,960 Speaker 1: not related to the accident that had a patient on 21 00:01:20,040 --> 00:01:23,119 Speaker 1: board that was trying to get to a local hospital 22 00:01:23,360 --> 00:01:26,600 Speaker 1: and they couldn't get through the traffic because the emergency 23 00:01:26,640 --> 00:01:29,440 Speaker 1: lane was closed. If this had been a situation where 24 00:01:29,440 --> 00:01:33,120 Speaker 1: the driver of the accident vehicle had life threatening injuries, 25 00:01:33,400 --> 00:01:36,600 Speaker 1: the ambulance wouldn't have been able to get there. That's 26 00:01:36,600 --> 00:01:39,160 Speaker 1: not to say that you'll never wind up driving on 27 00:01:39,200 --> 00:01:42,800 Speaker 1: the shoulder. You're just not likely to have to unless 28 00:01:42,920 --> 00:01:46,400 Speaker 1: you or someone near you runs into a roadway problem. 29 00:01:46,800 --> 00:01:51,280 Speaker 1: The Federal Highway Administration's website explains that, aside from their 30 00:01:51,560 --> 00:01:56,200 Speaker 1: structural benefits for pavement and drainage, shoulders provide refuge for 31 00:01:56,400 --> 00:02:01,520 Speaker 1: vehicles in emergency situations, access for first responders in an 32 00:02:01,560 --> 00:02:05,800 Speaker 1: additional recovery area for drivers trying to avoid conflicts in 33 00:02:05,800 --> 00:02:10,400 Speaker 1: the adjoining travel lanes. Okay, driving in the emergency lane 34 00:02:10,400 --> 00:02:13,160 Speaker 1: without being directed to do so by a law enforcement 35 00:02:13,200 --> 00:02:17,560 Speaker 1: official or a first responder. That's a violation of state law, 36 00:02:17,840 --> 00:02:21,560 Speaker 1: and you could be fined or even face jail time 37 00:02:21,639 --> 00:02:26,200 Speaker 1: for doing so. Like virtually every other police matter, penalties 38 00:02:26,280 --> 00:02:29,880 Speaker 1: vary state by state, but points on your driver's license, 39 00:02:29,919 --> 00:02:33,160 Speaker 1: which are assigned based on traffic violations and can result 40 00:02:33,240 --> 00:02:40,000 Speaker 1: in license suspension or revocation, are another possible penalty. Virginia 41 00:02:40,080 --> 00:02:45,000 Speaker 1: based traffic defense attorney Matt Pinsker has represented numerous clients 42 00:02:45,000 --> 00:02:48,760 Speaker 1: cited for the offense and says that judges are sympathetic 43 00:02:48,840 --> 00:02:51,120 Speaker 1: in the sense that no one likes sitting in the 44 00:02:51,120 --> 00:02:54,280 Speaker 1: traffic and we all understand the temptation of wanting to 45 00:02:54,360 --> 00:02:57,040 Speaker 1: just get in that open shoulder lane and go around 46 00:02:57,080 --> 00:02:59,919 Speaker 1: all of it, but we are all expected to fall 47 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:03,120 Speaker 1: all the rules. Now get this. He's had cases like 48 00:03:03,200 --> 00:03:07,120 Speaker 1: that dismissed because his client was improperly charged or the 49 00:03:07,200 --> 00:03:11,280 Speaker 1: charge was reduced or dismissed, but when it was reduced, 50 00:03:11,600 --> 00:03:16,679 Speaker 1: the fine was still around fifty to one dollars. So 51 00:03:17,160 --> 00:03:20,239 Speaker 1: do your bank account and your fellow motorists and first 52 00:03:20,280 --> 00:03:24,080 Speaker 1: responders a favor and avoid driving on the shoulder unless 53 00:03:24,360 --> 00:03:27,320 Speaker 1: you're in distress or an officer of the law directs 54 00:03:27,320 --> 00:03:34,080 Speaker 1: you there. Today's episode was written by A. Leahy, produced 55 00:03:34,080 --> 00:03:37,240 Speaker 1: by Dylan Fagan, and for more on this and other topics, 56 00:03:37,280 --> 00:03:52,920 Speaker 1: please visit us at how Stuff Works dot com.