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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>68016</law_id><section_number>46.2-829</section_number><catch_line>Approach of law-enforcement or fire-fighting vehicles, rescue vehicles, or ambulances; violation as failure to yield right-of-way</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="46.2">Motor Vehicles</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="III">Operation</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="8">Regulation of Traffic</unit><unit label="article" level="4" order_by="1" identifier="2">Right-Of-Way</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>Upon the approach of any emergency <span class="dictionary">vehicle</span> as defined in &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Certain vehicles exempt from regulations in certain situations; exceptions and additional requirements" href="/46.2-920/">46.2-920</a> giving audible signal by siren, exhaust whistle, or air horn designed to give automatically intermittent signals, and displaying a flashing, blinking, or alternating emergency <span class="dictionary">light</span> or <span class="dictionary">lights</span> as provided in &#xA7;&#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Flashing or steady-burning blue or red, flashing red and blue or blue and white, or red, white, and blue warning lights" href="/46.2-1022/">46.2-1022</a> through <a class="law" title="Flashing or steady-burning red or red and white warning light units" href="/46.2-1024/">46.2-1024</a>, the <span class="dictionary">driver</span> of every other <span class="dictionary">vehicle</span> shall, as quickly as traffic and other <span class="dictionary">highway</span> conditions permit, drive to the nearest edge of the <span class="dictionary">roadway</span>, clear of any <span class="dictionary">intersection</span> of <span class="dictionary"><span class="dictionary">highways</span></span>, and stop and remain there, unless otherwise directed by a <span class="dictionary"><span class="dictionary">law</span>-enforcement officer</span>, until the emergency <span class="dictionary">vehicle</span> has passed. This provision shall not relieve the <span class="dictionary">driver</span> of any such <span class="dictionary">vehicle</span> to which the right-of-way is to be yielded of the duty to drive with due regard for the safety of all persons using the <span class="dictionary">highway</span>, nor shall it protect the <span class="dictionary">driver</span> of any such <span class="dictionary">vehicle</span> from the consequences of an arbitrary exercise of such right-of-way.
		Violation of this section shall constitute failure to yield the right-of-way; however, any violation of this section that involves overtaking or passing a moving emergency <span class="dictionary">vehicle</span> giving an audible signal and displaying activated warning <span class="dictionary">lights</span> as provided for in this section shall constitute <span class="dictionary">reckless driving</span>, punishable as provided in &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Reckless driving; penalties" href="/46.2-868/">46.2-868</a>.</p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7; 46-241; 1958, c. 541, &#xA7; 46.1-225; 1960, c. 570; 1966, cc. 613, 699; 1968, c. 89; 1976, c. 754; 1984, c. 539; 1985, c. 462; 1989, c. 727; 1993, c. 579.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
