{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/46.2-888.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/46.2-888.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/46.2-888.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/46.2-888.html"}],"law_id":75137,"edition_id":1,"section_id":75137,"structure_id":15803,"section_number":"46.2-888","catch_line":"Stopping on highways; removing motor vehicle from roadway","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7 46-256; 1952, c. 671; 1958, c. 541, \u00a7 46.1-248; 1962, c. 175; 1972, c. 63; 1974, c. 230; 1977, cc. 284, 326; 1985, c. 93; 1989, c. 727; 1997, c. 431; 2008, c. 737; 2017, c. 350; 2019, c. 265.","full_text":"A\n\nNo person shall stop a vehicle in such manner as to impede or render dangerous the use of the highway by others, except in the case of an emergency, an accident, or a mechanical breakdown.B\n\nIn the event of such an emergency, accident, or breakdown, the emergency flashing lights of such vehicle shall be turned on if the vehicle is equipped with such lights and such lights are in working order. If the driver is capable of safely doing so, the vehicle is movable, and there are no injuries or deaths resulting from the emergency, accident, or breakdown, the driver shall move the vehicle from the roadway to prevent obstructing the regular flow of traffic, provided, however, that the movement of the vehicle to prevent the obstruction of traffic shall not relieve the law-enforcement officer of his duty pursuant to § 46.2-373. A report of the vehicle’s location shall be made to the nearest law-enforcement officer as soon as practicable, and the vehicle shall be moved from the roadway to the shoulder as soon as possible and removed from the shoulder without unnecessary delay. If the vehicle is not promptly removed, such removal may be ordered by a law-enforcement officer at the expense of the owner if the disabled vehicle creates a traffic hazard.C\n\n(Contingent expiration date — see Editor’s note) In the event of an accident on any part of Interstate 66 where a HOT lane as defined in § 33.2-500 is under construction and the shoulders of Interstate 66 are being or have been removed, the driver shall move the vehicle from the roadway to the nearest pull-off area if the driver is capable of safely doing so, the vehicle is movable, and there are no injuries or deaths resulting from the accident, provided, however, that the movement of the vehicle shall not relieve the law-enforcement officer of his duty pursuant to § 46.2-373. For purposes of this subsection, “pull-off area” includes an exit ramp or otherwise agreed-upon location. A violation of this subsection is a traffic infraction punishable by a fine of $20.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":269843,"text":"No person shall stop a vehicle in such manner as to impede or render dangerous the use of the highway by others, except in the case of an emergency, an accident, or a mechanical breakdown.","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"B"},"1":{"id":269844,"text":"In the event of such an emergency, accident, or breakdown, the emergency flashing lights of such vehicle shall be turned on if the vehicle is equipped with such lights and such lights are in working order. If the driver is capable of safely doing so, the vehicle is movable, and there are no injuries or deaths resulting from the emergency, accident, or breakdown, the driver shall move the vehicle from the roadway to prevent obstructing the regular flow of traffic, provided, however, that the movement of the vehicle to prevent the obstruction of traffic shall not relieve the law-enforcement officer of his duty pursuant to § 46.2-373. A report of the vehicle’s location shall be made to the nearest law-enforcement officer as soon as practicable, and the vehicle shall be moved from the roadway to the shoulder as soon as possible and removed from the shoulder without unnecessary delay. If the vehicle is not promptly removed, such removal may be ordered by a law-enforcement officer at the expense of the owner if the disabled vehicle creates a traffic hazard.","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A","next_prefix":"C"},"2":{"id":269845,"text":"(Contingent expiration date — see Editor’s note) In the event of an accident on any part of Interstate 66 where a HOT lane as defined in § 33.2-500 is under construction and the shoulders of Interstate 66 are being or have been removed, the driver shall move the vehicle from the roadway to the nearest pull-off area if the driver is capable of safely doing so, the vehicle is movable, and there are no injuries or deaths resulting from the accident, provided, however, that the movement of the vehicle shall not relieve the law-enforcement officer of his duty pursuant to § 46.2-373. For purposes of this subsection, “pull-off area” includes an exit ramp or otherwise agreed-upon location. A violation of this subsection is a traffic infraction punishable by a fine of $20.","type":"section","prefixes":["C"],"prefix":"C","entire_prefix":"C","prefix_anchor":"C","level":1,"prior_prefix":"B"}},"ancestry":[{"id":15803,"edition_id":1,"name":"Stopping on Highways","identifier":"10","label":"article","depth":4,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12875,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:59:47","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:59:47","permalink":{"id":230367,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":15803,"identifier":"10","token":"46.2\/III\/8\/10","url":"\/46.2\/III\/8\/10\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12875,"edition_id":1,"name":"Regulation of Traffic","identifier":"8","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12827,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:58","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:58","permalink":{"id":230189,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12875,"identifier":"8","token":"46.2\/III\/8","url":"\/46.2\/III\/8\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12827,"edition_id":1,"name":"Operation","identifier":"III","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12770,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:55","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:55","permalink":{"id":228597,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12827,"identifier":"III","token":"46.2\/III","url":"\/46.2\/III\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12770,"edition_id":1,"name":"Motor Vehicles","identifier":"46.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:52","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:52","permalink":{"id":225289,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12770,"identifier":"46.2","token":"46.2","url":"\/46.2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":75137,"structure_id":15803,"section_number":"46.2-888","catch_line":"Stopping on highways; removing motor vehicle from roadway","url":"\/46.2-888\/","token":"46.2\/III\/8\/10\/46.2-888","metadata":false},{"id":60931,"structure_id":15803,"section_number":"46.2-889","catch_line":"Location of parked vehicles","url":"\/46.2-889\/","token":"46.2\/III\/8\/10\/46.2-889","metadata":false},{"id":81147,"structure_id":15803,"section_number":"46.2-890","catch_line":"Stopping in vicinity of fire or emergency","url":"\/46.2-890\/","token":"46.2\/III\/8\/10\/46.2-890","metadata":false},{"id":67800,"structure_id":15803,"section_number":"46.2-891","catch_line":"Exemption for highway construction and maintenance vehicles","url":"\/46.2-891\/","token":"46.2\/III\/8\/10\/46.2-891","metadata":false},{"id":66480,"structure_id":15803,"section_number":"46.2-892","catch_line":"Rural mail carriers stopping on highways","url":"\/46.2-892\/","token":"46.2\/III\/8\/10\/46.2-892","metadata":false},{"id":79133,"structure_id":15803,"section_number":"46.2-893","catch_line":"Stopping on highways to discharge cargo or passengers; school buses","url":"\/46.2-893\/","token":"46.2\/III\/8\/10\/46.2-893","metadata":false}],"next_section":{"id":60931,"structure_id":15803,"section_number":"46.2-889","catch_line":"Location of parked vehicles","url":"\/46.2-889\/","token":"46.2\/III\/8\/10\/46.2-889","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/46.2-888\/","history_text":"

The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 12 times. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. Those modifications are as follows: in 1952, chapter 671; in 1958, chapter 541; in 1962, chapter 175; in 1972, chapter 63; in 1974, chapter 230; in 1977, chapters 284 and 326; in 1985, chapter 93; in 1989, chapter 727; in 1997, chapter 431<\/a>; in 2008, chapter 737<\/a>; in 2017, chapter 350<\/a>; in 2019, chapter 265<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":60435,"section_number":"15.2-1714","catch_line":"Establishing police lines, perimeters, or barricades","order_by":null,"url":"\/15.2-1714\/"},{"id":84253,"section_number":"27-15.1","catch_line":"Authority of chief or other officer in charge when answering alarm; penalty for refusal to obey orders","order_by":null,"url":"\/27-15.1\/"},{"id":58628,"section_number":"32.1-111.14:5","catch_line":"Authority of emergency medical services agency incident commander when operating at an emergency incident; penalty for refusal to obey orders","order_by":null,"url":"\/32.1-111.14_5\/"},{"id":64733,"section_number":"46.2-868.1","catch_line":"Aggressive driving; penalties","order_by":null,"url":"\/46.2-868.1\/"},{"id":66480,"section_number":"46.2-892","catch_line":"Rural mail carriers stopping on highways","order_by":null,"url":"\/46.2-892\/"},{"id":56513,"section_number":"46.2-894","catch_line":"Duty of driver to stop, etc., in event of accident involving injury or death or damage to attended property; penalty","order_by":null,"url":"\/46.2-894\/"}],"refers_to":[{"id":83043,"section_number":"33.2-500","catch_line":"Definitions","order_by":null,"url":"\/33.2-500\/"},{"id":60928,"section_number":"46.2-373","catch_line":"Report by law-enforcement official investigating accident","order_by":null,"url":"\/46.2-373\/"}],"permalink":{"id":230369,"object_type":"law","relational_id":75137,"identifier":"46.2-888","token":"46.2\/III\/8\/10\/46.2-888","url":"\/46.2-888\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/46.2-888\/","token":"46.2\/III\/8\/10\/46.2-888","dublin_core":{"Title":"Stopping on highways; removing motor vehicle from roadway","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 46.2-888","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A.<\/span> No person shall stop a vehicle<\/span> in such manner as to impede or render dangerous the use of the highway<\/span> by others, except in the case of an emergency, an accident, or a mechanical breakdown. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

B.<\/span> In the event of such an emergency, accident, or breakdown, the emergency flashing lights<\/span> of such vehicle<\/span> shall be turned on if the vehicle<\/span> is equipped with such lights<\/span> and such lights<\/span> are in working order<\/span>. If the driver<\/span> is capable of safely doing so, the vehicle<\/span> is movable, and there are no injuries or deaths resulting from the emergency, accident, or breakdown, the driver<\/span> shall move the vehicle<\/span> from the roadway<\/span> to prevent obstructing the regular flow of traffic, provided, however, that the movement of the vehicle<\/span> to prevent the obstruction of traffic shall not relieve the law<\/span>-enforcement officer<\/span> of his duty pursuant to § 46.2-373<\/a>. A report of the vehicle<\/span>’s location shall be made to the nearest law<\/span>-enforcement officer<\/span> as soon as practicable, and the vehicle<\/span> shall be moved from the roadway<\/span> to the shoulder<\/span> as soon as possible and removed from the shoulder<\/span> without unnecessary delay. If the vehicle<\/span> is not promptly removed, such removal may be ordered by a law<\/span>-enforcement officer<\/span> at the expense of the owner<\/span> if the disabled vehicle<\/span> creates a traffic hazard. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

C.<\/span> (Contingent expiration date — see Editor’s note) In the event of an accident on any part of Interstate 66 where a HOT lane<\/span> as defined in § 33.2-500<\/a> is under construction and the shoulders<\/span> of Interstate 66 are being or have been removed, the driver<\/span> shall move the vehicle<\/span> from the roadway<\/span> to the nearest pull-off area<\/span> if the driver<\/span> is capable of safely doing so, the vehicle<\/span> is movable, and there are no injuries or deaths resulting from the accident, provided, however, that the movement of the vehicle<\/span> shall not relieve the law<\/span>-enforcement officer<\/span> of his duty pursuant to § 46.2-373<\/a>. For purposes of this subsection, “pull-off area<\/span>” includes an exit ramp or otherwise agreed-upon location. A violation of this subsection is a traffic infraction<\/span> punishable by a fine of $20. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nSTOPPING ON HIGHWAYS; REMOVING MOTOR VEHICLE FROM ROADWAY (\u00a7 46.2-888)\n\nA. No person shall stop a vehicle in such manner as to impede or render\ndangerous the use of the highway by others, except in the case of an emergency,\nan accident, or a mechanical breakdown.\n\nB. In the event of such an emergency, accident, or breakdown, the emergency\nflashing lights of such vehicle shall be turned on if the vehicle is equipped\nwith such lights and such lights are in working order. If the driver is capable\nof safely doing so, the vehicle is movable, and there are no injuries or deaths\nresulting from the emergency, accident, or breakdown, the driver shall move the\nvehicle from the roadway to prevent obstructing the regular flow of traffic,\nprovided, however, that the movement of the vehicle to prevent the obstruction\nof traffic shall not relieve the law-enforcement officer of his duty pursuant to\n§ 46.2-373. A report of the vehicle’s location shall be made to the\nnearest law-enforcement officer as soon as practicable, and the vehicle shall be\nmoved from the roadway to the shoulder as soon as possible and removed from the\nshoulder without unnecessary delay. If the vehicle is not promptly removed, such\nremoval may be ordered by a law-enforcement officer at the expense of the owner\nif the disabled vehicle creates a traffic hazard.\n\nC. (Contingent expiration date — see Editor’s note) In the event of\nan accident on any part of Interstate 66 where a HOT lane as defined in §\n33.2-500 is under construction and the shoulders of Interstate 66 are being or\nhave been removed, the driver shall move the vehicle from the roadway to the\nnearest pull-off area if the driver is capable of safely doing so, the vehicle\nis movable, and there are no injuries or deaths resulting from the accident,\nprovided, however, that the movement of the vehicle shall not relieve the\nlaw-enforcement officer of his duty pursuant to § 46.2-373. For purposes of\nthis subsection, “pull-off area” includes an exit ramp or otherwise\nagreed-upon location. A violation of this subsection is a traffic infraction\npunishable by a fine of $20.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7 46-256; 1952, c. 671; 1958, c. 541, \u00a7 46.1-248; 1962, c.\n175; 1972, c. 63; 1974, c. 230; 1977, cc. 284, 326; 1985, c. 93; 1989, c. 727;\n1997, c. 431; 2008, c. 737; 2017, c. 350; 2019, c. 265.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}