7.3 Roadside Emergencies & Law Enforcement Traffic Stops

Roadside Emergencies

Every roadside emergency is different: a flat tire, an overheated engine, or a passenger who needs help. The manual's three principles:

1. Assess the situation.
2. Use good judgment in deciding how to respond.
3. Watch for other vehicles, because roadside emergencies can change in an instant.

Find a Safe Place

Every year people are injured or killed on the side of the road while waiting for help. If your vehicle becomes disabled:

• Do your best to move it to the shoulder.
• If you can reach an off-ramp or parking lot, consider doing so even if it means driving on a flat tire or damaging a rim. The farther you are from traffic, the safer you will be.
• Never stop or park in the triangle-shaped painted zones where a ramp leaves the road.
• Turn on your emergency flashers at once. On interstates, the manual says you may stop on the shoulder only when your vehicle is disabled or you have another emergency (see Section 4.6).

If You Can Stay in Your Vehicle

Stay buckled and face forward. Your vehicle has safety features that help protect you and your passengers if another vehicle hits you.

If You Cannot Stay in Your Vehicle

If staying inside is not safe or possible:

• Watch what is happening and pick the safest time for everyone to get out.
• Do not stand near the vehicle. Move quickly away from the road.
• Get behind an embankment, traffic barrier or guardrail, and move to higher ground if possible.
• Face oncoming traffic and stay alert in case a vehicle veers toward you.

Calling for Help

Use the nearest mile marker or exit to tell 911 or a tow service where you are. Keep your emergency kit stocked with flares, a flashlight, a first aid kit, a blanket, sand or kitty litter, a shovel and an ice scraper (see Section 4.2). Remember that the Move Over law protects you: approaching drivers must move over or slow down for a stopped vehicle with hazard lights or flares.

Railroad Tracks

If your vehicle stalls on or near railroad tracks, get everyone out, move away from the tracks, and call the number on the blue Emergency Notification System sign (see Section 4.4).

Law Enforcement Traffic Stops

Officers issue written citations (tickets) to people charged with breaking the Maryland Vehicle Law. You must follow the officer's directions if you are stopped, or you may be arrested.

What to Do When an Officer Stops You

Other helpful habits: at night, turn on your interior light; tell the officer before you reach for your license, registration or insurance card; and keep those documents where you can reach them easily. Maryland requires you to carry a valid insurance identification card (electronic is fine) and to show it when an officer asks (see Section 7.5).

If You Are Unsure the Car Is a Police Vehicle

Signal that you have seen the lights, slow down, and pull over at the first well-lit, safe location. Keep your flashers on and your hands visible.

Why the Manual Includes These Rules

Many roadside deaths happen to people standing beside a disabled car or to officers and tow operators working on the shoulder. Knowing exactly what to do keeps you predictable, which keeps everyone safer.

Scenario Practice

1. A tire blows out on the Beltway 300 yards before an exit. If you can do so safely, continue slowly to the exit ramp and a parking lot, with flashers on, even if the rim is damaged.
2. Your car dies in the right lane and you coast to a narrow shoulder with traffic speeding past. If it is unsafe to stay inside, wait for a gap, get everyone out on the side away from traffic, and move behind the guardrail.
3. An officer stops you on a two-lane road at night. Pull well off the road, turn on your flashers, turn off the engine and radio, turn on the interior light, lower the window, and keep your hands on the wheel.