WEBVTT - When Can You Use The Emergency Lane?

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to brain Stuff from How Stuff Works. Hey, brain Stuff,

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<v Speaker 1>it's Christian Seger here. Imagine this. You're in your car.

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<v Speaker 1>You've got places to go and people to see, yet

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<v Speaker 1>you're stuck inching along the interstate at barely a snail's pace.

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<v Speaker 1>Your exit looms, but it's still relatively far away, and

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<v Speaker 1>the empty shoulder commonly known to drivers as the emergency lane,

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<v Speaker 1>beckons you. You'd be reducing congestion if you drove on

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<v Speaker 1>the shoulder right. What harm could it possibly do? Well?

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<v Speaker 1>A lot, As it turns out. Katie Fallon, the public

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<v Speaker 1>information officer with the Georgia Governor's Office of Highway Safety,

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<v Speaker 1>says this lane is for emergency use only and not

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<v Speaker 1>for general travel. It does not matter if you're just

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<v Speaker 1>trying to pass someone. Here's a case in point. A

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<v Speaker 1>July dump truck crash on Interstate eighty five in Fairburn,

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<v Speaker 1>Georgia inspired a number of motorists to hit the shoulder

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<v Speaker 1>instead of waiting in traffic like everyone else. Their actions

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<v Speaker 1>caused major disruptions. Fairbird Deputy Chief Anthony Bazidlow told WSBTV

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<v Speaker 1>they had a hero unit that was prevented from getting

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<v Speaker 1>to the scene as well as an ambulance that was

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<v Speaker 1>not related to the accident that had a patient on

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<v Speaker 1>board that was trying to get to a local hospital

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<v Speaker 1>and they couldn't get through the traffic because the emergency

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<v Speaker 1>lane was closed. If this had been a situation where

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<v Speaker 1>the driver of the accident vehicle had life threatening injuries,

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<v Speaker 1>the ambulance wouldn't have been able to get there. That's

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<v Speaker 1>not to say that you'll never wind up driving on

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<v Speaker 1>the shoulder. You're just not likely to have to unless

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<v Speaker 1>you or someone near you runs into a roadway problem.

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<v Speaker 1>The Federal Highway Administration's website explains that, aside from their

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<v Speaker 1>structural benefits for pavement and drainage, shoulders provide refuge for

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<v Speaker 1>vehicles in emergency situations, access for first responders in an

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<v Speaker 1>additional recovery area for drivers trying to avoid conflicts in

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<v Speaker 1>the adjoining travel lanes. Okay, driving in the emergency lane

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<v Speaker 1>without being directed to do so by a law enforcement

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<v Speaker 1>official or a first responder. That's a violation of state law,

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<v Speaker 1>and you could be fined or even face jail time

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<v Speaker 1>for doing so. Like virtually every other police matter, penalties

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<v Speaker 1>vary state by state, but points on your driver's license,

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<v Speaker 1>which are assigned based on traffic violations and can result

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<v Speaker 1>in license suspension or revocation, are another possible penalty. Virginia

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<v Speaker 1>based traffic defense attorney Matt Pinsker has represented numerous clients

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<v Speaker 1>cited for the offense and says that judges are sympathetic

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<v Speaker 1>in the sense that no one likes sitting in the

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<v Speaker 1>traffic and we all understand the temptation of wanting to

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<v Speaker 1>just get in that open shoulder lane and go around

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<v Speaker 1>all of it, but we are all expected to fall

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<v Speaker 1>all the rules. Now get this. He's had cases like

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<v Speaker 1>that dismissed because his client was improperly charged or the

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<v Speaker 1>charge was reduced or dismissed, but when it was reduced,

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<v Speaker 1>the fine was still around fifty to one dollars. So

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<v Speaker 1>do your bank account and your fellow motorists and first

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<v Speaker 1>responders a favor and avoid driving on the shoulder unless

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<v Speaker 1>you're in distress or an officer of the law directs

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<v Speaker 1>you there. Today's episode was written by A. Leahy, produced

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<v Speaker 1>by Dylan Fagan, and for more on this and other topics,

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<v Speaker 1>please visit us at how Stuff Works dot com.