14.1 Emergency Vehicles & Police Stops
Key Takeaways
When a Massachusetts emergency vehicle approaches with siren or flashing lights, drivers must pull as far right as possible and stop until it passes; slowly rolling is not acceptable.
Massachusetts drivers may not follow closer than 300 feet behind an emergency vehicle responding to an alarm.
Massachusetts drivers may not drive by or park within 800 feet of a fire, or drive over an unprotected fire hose unless directed.
A Massachusetts driver who needs help at a roadside police scene should pull in front of the cruiser, never behind it.
Failing to produce a license or registration costs $35 for a first offense, and refusing or falsifying a name and address can cost $100 and lead to arrest.
Chapter 5 of the Manual, Special Driving Situations, starts with a reminder: about 40 percent of highway crashes involve drivers under 25, mostly because of inexperience (RMV Crash Data Department). Its first topic is emergency vehicles and police stops, where clear, predictable behavior protects everyone.
Moving Emergency Vehicles
Always yield the right-of-way to fire engines, ambulances, police cars and other emergency vehicles using a siren and/or flashing lights.
| Step | Manual rule |
|---|---|
| Pull over | Whatever direction it is coming from, pull as close as possible to the right side of the road and stop until it has passed. Slowly rolling is not acceptable |
| How | Check mirrors, find a safe place on the right and use your right turn signal. Don't pull left or slam on the brakes, and don't stop suddenly |
| Intersections | Never stop in the middle of an intersection. Drive through it, then pull over as soon as it is safe |
| After it passes | Use your left turn signal, make sure the lane is clear, and check for more emergency vehicles before merging back |
| Following | It is illegal to follow closer than 300 feet behind an emergency vehicle responding to an alarm |
Failing to yield to emergency vehicles when the law requires it is one of the 19 Standards of Fault (section 7.2).
Stationary Emergency and Maintenance Vehicles
- Slow down and stay alert when an emergency response vehicle is stopped ahead with its lights flashing: fire trucks, police cars, ambulances and "disaster vehicles" that support emergency services. The same applies to highway maintenance and recovery vehicles (tow trucks, ramp trucks) with flashing lights.
- Move-Over law: slow to a reasonable and safe speed. On a highway with at least four lanes, at least two in your direction, move to a lane not next to the stopped vehicle, leaving an open lane. If you can't, still slow down (section 12.1).
- Be ready to stop when passing an emergency vehicle.
- At night, dim your high beams.
- Need help? Pull in front of the police cruiser and ask. Never stop behind a police cruiser. Don't approach an officer who is dealing with a stopped motorist; stand beside your vehicle on the shoulder until the officer is finished.
- Fires: it is illegal to drive by or park within 800 feet of a fire. Don't drive over an unprotected fire hose unless a firefighter or public safety official tells you to.
Tip
Emergency distances: 300 feet behind a responding emergency vehicle, 800 feet from a fire and an open lane beside a stopped emergency vehicle where possible.
When a Police Officer Stops You
State law requires you to pull over and stop when a police officer signals, whether the officer is in a cruiser or on foot. Stops cause anxiety on both sides, and the Manual gives the officer's view: in 2021, 5 police officers were killed and 4,687 assaulted during traffic pursuits and stops (FBI Uniform Crime Reports). Traffic enforcement saves lives. In 2022, U.S. crashes killed 42,514 people and injured more than 2,382,000 (NHTSA), and Massachusetts recorded 413 deaths and 30,611 injuries.
Arguing, ignoring instructions, telling the officer to stop "real criminals," or reaching under seats or into hidden areas all raise the officer's anxiety and can change their reaction.
The Manual's traffic stop steps
- Don't ignore the signal or pretend you didn't see it.
- Signal, check mirrors and move slowly all the way to the right. Never pull over to the left. If the officer drives past, return to traffic when safe.
- Don't stop in an intersection, in front of a driveway or in a travel lane. If the officer directs you to a place, stop there.
- Put the car in park (automatic) or neutral with the parking brake on (manual). Turn off the engine and radio.
- Stay in the vehicle, with your passengers. Get out only if told to, then keep away from traffic and keep your hands in view.
- At night, leave the headlights on and turn on the interior overhead light.
- Roll down your window as the officer approaches.
- The officer will usually explain the stop. An officer not in uniform will show credentials, or you may ask to see them.
- Wait until the officer asks before reaching for your license and registration. Hand over the documents out of any wallet or holder.
- Keep your hands in sight, and have passengers do the same. Make no sudden movements, and don't reach into unlit areas.
- Give your full attention to the officer, with no cell phone during the stop.
- Stay in the vehicle when the officer returns to the cruiser. If you find a requested document, hold it out the window and wait.
- Answer honestly if asked whether there are weapons in the vehicle.
- Be polite. If you get a ticket, don't argue. Once issued, the officer must file it and can't take it back, but you may challenge it in court and may ask the officer to clarify it.
- When told you may go, signal, check mirrors and return to traffic. On a highway, build up to a safe speed in the breakdown lane before merging.
Documents and fines
| Rule | Detail |
|---|---|
| Carrying documents | M.G.L. c. 90, s. 11 requires your license and registration to be handy while driving |
| Failure to produce either | $35 fine for a first offense |
| No documents | The officer may ask for your name and address and, if you don't own the vehicle, the owner's name and address |
| Refusing, or giving a false name or address | $100 fine (c. 90, s. 25), plus possible arrest and criminal charges |
| Proof of insurance | Massachusetts doesn't issue insurance cards; the registration names your insurer. Other states may ask for proof |
| Signing a citation | Massachusetts doesn't require a signature. Elsewhere, a signature only acknowledges receipt, not guilt |
If you believe you were stopped because of your race or gender, or the officer's conduct was otherwise inappropriate, you may report it to the officer's police department or agency.
Rehearsing a Traffic Stop
Rehearse a mock traffic stop in a parking lot: signal, pull right, stop out of the travel lane, shift to park, engine and radio off, interior light on at night, window down, hands on the wheel, documents only on request. Students who have practiced the routine stay calmer when a real stop happens.
An ambulance with its siren on approaches from behind while a student is driving through the middle of an intersection. What should the student do?
Stop right away in the intersection so the ambulance can go around
Continue through the intersection, then pull to the right and stop once it is safe
Keep rolling slowly in the right lane without stopping
Pull to the left so the ambulance can pass on the right
How close may a driver legally follow behind an emergency vehicle that is responding to an alarm?
No closer than 800 feet
No closer than 300 feet
No closer than 100 feet
No closer than 500 feet
A driver stopped by police at night cannot find their registration at first. What does the Manual advise, and what does failing to produce it cost?
Hand over the whole wallet so the officer can search it, with a $25 fine
Reach under the seat right away before the officer arrives, with a $100 fine
Wait for the officer's request; the fine is $35 for a first offense
Get out and search the trunk while the officer waits, with no fine if it is found later
Sections you finish are checked off in the contents.