Currently in Charlotte, North Carolina it is extremely common to be pulled over for not switching lanes when a police officer has someone pulled over on the side of the road. We get numerous calls each week by individuals who have been pulled over for staying in the lane nearest to the location where a law enforcement officer has pulled over someone. It usually happens on a highway (I-485, I-85 or I-77) and when people call us, they express that they did not know they were required to take certain actions around emergency vehicles. Since our Punishment Enhancements – Under N.C.G.S. § 20-157
If you fail to move over and cause injury or property damage the punishment will be elevated to a class 1 misdemeanor, or worse, a class I Felony if serious injury or death. The Class I felony conviction would result in a yearlong suspension of your driver’s license; however, you could receive a limited driving privilege.
What is an emergency vehicle?
N.C.G.S. § 20-157 (a) defines an emergency vehicle as any law enforcement or fire department vehicle or public or private ambulance or rescue squad emergency service vehicle, or a vehicle operated by the Division of Marine Fisheries of the Department of Environmental Quality, or the Division of Parks and Recreation of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, or the North Carolina Forest Service of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services when traveling in response to a fire alarm or other emergency response purpose. That is a lot of vehicles and N.C.G.S. § 20-157 (f) expands the definition to include any public service vehicle or utility vehicle with “amber colored lights,” this likely includes electric, cable and telephone vehicles. In essence, under this statute, if you see a vehicle with flashing lights move over or slow down if you cannot move over.
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