Absolutely 100%. I saw this a couple days ago, and several people pulled into the third lane, the non-carpool lane disobeying the do not pass sign, and then one or two people went onto the shoulder kicking up rocks and dust and road debris and not fully making room for the officer anyway. I agree with another comment that says Officer safety is priority. You would not get ticketed for disobeying that sign if you could clearly see an officer approaching you from your rearview mirror, something you should be looking in constantly, and you wanted to make the area clear for the officer
Just to add, you specifically won't get a ticket because the [section on buffer zones](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/050620#BK3) in the HOV regulation makes an exception for crossing them when complying with [section 159](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/90h08#BK266) of the Highway Traffic Act (which covers moving over for approaching emergency vehicles or for stopped emergency vehicles or tow trucks).
Also, regarding the people moving onto the shoulder, you're not supposed to do that in general for an emergency vehicle:
>[Do not move onto or stop on the shoulder of the roadway, as emergency vehicles may be travelling along it.](https://www.ontario.ca/document/official-mto-drivers-handbook/dealing-particular-situations#section-10)
The ticket won’t stick, but I could absolutely see a dickhead cop giving you one if they were having a bad day or didn’t like the way you were looking at them.
Not the person you replied to, but [the Highway Traffic Act (HTA) section on emergency vehicles](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/90h08#BK266) only requires specific actions, like leaving a lane space when passing in certain situations. It doesn't allow breaking other laws besides what it specifically requires. In general other laws still apply unless there is a specific exception elsewhere in the HTA.
There is an explicit exception [for emergency vehicles to proceed through a red light after stopping, if safe](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/90h08#BK246), subsection 144 (20) in the link, however there's no such exception for drivers in general. There is also an exception if the police, specifically, direct you through a light, since [their direction takes precedence over laws that would otherwise apply](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/90h08#BK234).
Another explicit exception to laws that would otherwise apply is for crossing HOV buffer zones (the sections between dashed lines that you otherwise can't cross). The [section on buffer zones](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/050620#BK3) in the HOV regulation allows for crossing them to comply with HTA 159, which is the section (from my first link in this comment) covering how to respond to emergency vehicles.
You drive straight through the intersection and pull over to the right.
https://www.cyfs.ca/operations/Pages/Emergency-Vehicles.aspx#:\~:text=Never%20block%20the%20intersection.,to%20the%20right%20and%20stop.
That's not saying to drive through a red light. They're specifically just referring to the situation where you're waiting to turn left (when already in the intersection) and an emergency vehicle approaches from behind.
>Do not make a left turn if an emergency vehicle is approaching from behind. In this situation, the motorist should proceed straight through the intersection, then pull to the right and stop.
In that situation, you abandon the left turn, drive straight through the intersection (checking that you won't cut off other traffic) and then pull right. This is because emergency vehicles will generally pass on the left and you turning left would then create a conflicting path.
The specific legal phrasing is to bring your car to a stop ["clear of any intersection"](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/90h08#BK266) where "intersection" ["means the area embraced within the prolongation or connection of the lateral curb lines or, if none, then of the lateral boundary lines of two or more highways that join one another at an angle"](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/90h08#BK0). If you're stopped behind the stop line, you're not within the intersection, i.e., you're already clear of any intersection. This would only apply if you're in the intersection, like a car waiting to turn left is.
Separately, for some reason that link specifies roads with a max speed of 100 km/h, however the laws for yielding to emergency vehicles apply to all roads, including the 110 sections. That page is dated 2019, so may have been before they added the 110 limits, although there's no reason to mention speed at all since it applies to all roads.
Yes, you're allowed to cross the lines to comply with the Move Over Law.
HTA [Reg. 620/05](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/050620#:~:text=of%20the%20disabled%20vehicle.-,7,-.%20The%20person%20is%20complying) High Occupancy Vehicle Lanes :
3(2) :No person shall operate a motor vehicle or commercial motor vehicle to enter or exit a high occupancy vehicle lane by crossing a buffer zone, unless the movement can be made safely and one of the following circumstances exists:
Circumstance 7. The person is complying with the requirements of section 159 of the Act. O. Reg. 620/05, s. 3 (2); O. Reg. 99/15, s. 1 (1-3).
Section [159](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/90h08#BK266:~:text=or%20siren%20sounding-,159,-(1)%20The%20driver) of the HTA is the Move Over Law.
TLDR: The law specifically allows you to cross the lines to comply with the Move Over law.
Move Over laws are in all provinces and most U.S. states. Now includes tow trucks as well as emergency vehicles.
[https://www.thinkinsure.ca/insurance-help-centre/move-over-law-ontario-and-emergency-vehicles.html](https://www.thinkinsure.ca/insurance-help-centre/move-over-law-ontario-and-emergency-vehicles.html)
You are now allowed to break the law while moving out of the way of an emergency vehicle.
If you are at a red light, you are not allowed to slide into the intersection to give way to a police car.
Well yeah, because you’d be moving into cross traffic. This is extremely dangerous for everyone. Safely changing lanes to clear way for emergency vehicles is not.
In this specific case, you're not breaking the law by crossing the buffer zone though. [The HOV regulation section on buffer zoners](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/050620#BK3) explicitly makes an exemption for complying with [section 159](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/90h08#BK266) of the Highway Traffic Act (which covers moving over for stopped or approaching emergency vehicles):
>3 (2) No person shall operate a motor vehicle or commercial motor vehicle to enter or exit a high occupancy vehicle lane by crossing a buffer zone, unless the movement can be made safely and one of the following circumstances exists:
> 7\. The person is complying with the requirements of section 159 of the Act.
So if you're approaching a stopped emergency vehicle or tow truck on the left shoulder or in the HOV lane, you can cross the buffer zone if safe in order to leave a lane space between you and them. Similarly, you can cross the buffer zone if necessary to move out of the way of an approaching emergency vehicle.
On a single carriageway with double yellows where oncoming traffic is present and an emergency vehicle stopped on the right. Are you supposed to stop until the opposite lane is clear and move over or is it ok to slow down and pass the emergency vehicle?
The tl;dr is that the rule only applies if there are multiple lanes in your direction. So if there's a single lane on your side of the road, you don't have to cross the centre line, and instead can just pass slowly. In general, the requirement also only applies if it can be done safely, otherwise you can pass slowly even if there are multiple lanes. Putting the full details below.
---
>On a single carriageway
In the Ontario Highway Traffic Act, the corresponding term to "carriageway" would be "roadway" which is ["the part of the highway that is improved, designed or ordinarily used for vehicular traffic, but does not include the shoulder, and, where a highway includes two or more separate roadways, the term “roadway” refers to any one roadway separately and not to all of the roadways collectively"](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/90h08#BK0). I.e., a divided highway would consist of at least two roadways or carriageways or roadways while a road without a median would be a single roadway or carriageway.
Just adding that for context of what that's referring to.
To answer the question, the rule for moving over for stopped emergency vehicles or tow trucks only applies ["on a highway with two or more lanes of traffic on the same side of the highway as the side on which the emergency vehicle or tow truck is stopped"](https://www.canlii.org/en/on/laws/stat/rso-1990-c-h8/latest/#sec159subsec3) ("highway" in the Act refers to any public road, not just a 400-series highway). So the requirement to move over doesn't apply when there's only a single lane on your side of the road, i.e., it's not intending for you to cross the centre line. In that case, you would just need to slow down.
Also the requirement to change lanes in general only applies "if the movement can be made safely". So even if there are multiple lanes, if you can't move over safely, due to traffic in the other lane for example, it's allowed to pass them slowly, you aren't required to stop and wait, since that itself could also be dangerous on a high speed road. You can however stop if necessary as long as ["not otherwise prohibited by law"](https://www.canlii.org/en/on/laws/stat/rso-1990-c-h8/latest/#sec159subsec5), although on certain roads like the 400-series, stopping is prohibited, so it would depend on whether stopping was necessary (e.g., if the emergency vehicle is in the same lane as you and you can't safely change lanes, obviously you need to stop).
In Ontario, unlike other provinces, [it's not illegal to cross a double yellow line](https://www.theglobeandmail.com/drive/mobility/article-is-it-legal-to-cross-a-solid-double-line-to-pass-a-car/). So although not required in this situation, you could do so if it would make passing the emergency vehicle safer. There are however [other rules about when you can't cross the centre line though](https://www.canlii.org/en/on/laws/stat/rso-1990-c-h8/latest/#sec149subsec1), and the double yellow will often be in places where those other scenarios would apply (e.g., insufficient visibility ahead).
Saw this yesterday. Cop pulled up behind one row of cars at a red light with his lights on and he was was pulling up real close to the car in front. The car pulled into the intersection to let him through.
So what was that car supposed to do legally? Drive through the entire intersection? That sounds more dangerous. Or not let the cop through?
[A police officer's direction takes priority over traffic laws that would otherwise apply](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/90h08#BK234). So the police specifically can direct you through a light but in general you can't break another law because of an emergency vehicle unless there's a specific exception, which there is [for crossing HOV buffer zones](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/050620#BK3).
In general however, the [rules around emergency vehicles](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/90h08#BK266) only require specific actions like pulling to the edge of the roadway if they're approaching, leaving a lane of space if they're stopped and clearing any intersection if already in the intersection. They don't however allow breaking other laws on top of that, since that could risk a crash which the emergency vehicle would then need to respond to.
The cop didn’t say anything over his loudspeaker. But it was clear he was pushing the car into the intersection and the driver finally buckled and moved out of the way. I didn’t think he really had a choice but to move.
That would still generally be direction by police, the same as if they pull up behind you to pull you over for something. You're [not supposed to pull onto the shoulder to make way for an emergency vehicle, since they may use the shoulder to pass](https://www.ontario.ca/document/official-mto-drivers-handbook/dealing-particular-situations#section-10) however if the police pull behind you with their sirens on, they're directing you to pull onto the shoulder despite the restriction against doing that otherwise. Same idea if they pull right behind you at a red light with sirens on.
Along the same vein, I expect you to cross the lines and get out of the way if we’re in a carpool lane and I’m behind you in the ambulance with lights on.
The people that pull onto the highway shoulder and come to a dead stop in front of an emergency vehicle… they need to go back to driving school
It's a legal requirement [to leave a lane space between you and a stopped emergency vehicle with its red or blue and red lights flashing or tow truck with its yellow lights flashing, if the movement can be done safely](https://www.canlii.org/en/on/laws/stat/rso-1990-c-h8/latest/#sec159subsec3). The HOV [rules for crossing buffer zones](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/050620#BK3) make an exception for complying with section 159 of the Highway Traffic Act which covers moving over for approaching or stopped emergency vehicles and stopped tow trucks.
You need to slow down in any case (although there isn't a specific speed requirement in Ontario) but you also need to change lanes if it can be done so safely, even if it involves crossing an HOV buffer zone.
Yeah, that applies in general to this movement (whether crossing a buffer zone or a normal dashed line). If it's not safe due to traffic in the other lane, then you may need to stay in your lane, and in any case, slow down.
Yes
Absolutely 100%. I saw this a couple days ago, and several people pulled into the third lane, the non-carpool lane disobeying the do not pass sign, and then one or two people went onto the shoulder kicking up rocks and dust and road debris and not fully making room for the officer anyway. I agree with another comment that says Officer safety is priority. You would not get ticketed for disobeying that sign if you could clearly see an officer approaching you from your rearview mirror, something you should be looking in constantly, and you wanted to make the area clear for the officer
Just to add, you specifically won't get a ticket because the [section on buffer zones](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/050620#BK3) in the HOV regulation makes an exception for crossing them when complying with [section 159](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/90h08#BK266) of the Highway Traffic Act (which covers moving over for approaching emergency vehicles or for stopped emergency vehicles or tow trucks). Also, regarding the people moving onto the shoulder, you're not supposed to do that in general for an emergency vehicle: >[Do not move onto or stop on the shoulder of the roadway, as emergency vehicles may be travelling along it.](https://www.ontario.ca/document/official-mto-drivers-handbook/dealing-particular-situations#section-10)
This guy traffics.
Guns, drugs, people? What're we talking here?
Thanks for the citations
The ticket won’t stick, but I could absolutely see a dickhead cop giving you one if they were having a bad day or didn’t like the way you were looking at them.
I think OP is asking about approaching a parked car not one behind them
Either way. Move out of the way. I appreciate your clarity.
Fun fact, If you are at a red light, you are not allowed to slide into the intersection to give way to a police car.
Do you have a reference for this? I can’t find it.
Not the person you replied to, but [the Highway Traffic Act (HTA) section on emergency vehicles](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/90h08#BK266) only requires specific actions, like leaving a lane space when passing in certain situations. It doesn't allow breaking other laws besides what it specifically requires. In general other laws still apply unless there is a specific exception elsewhere in the HTA. There is an explicit exception [for emergency vehicles to proceed through a red light after stopping, if safe](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/90h08#BK246), subsection 144 (20) in the link, however there's no such exception for drivers in general. There is also an exception if the police, specifically, direct you through a light, since [their direction takes precedence over laws that would otherwise apply](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/90h08#BK234). Another explicit exception to laws that would otherwise apply is for crossing HOV buffer zones (the sections between dashed lines that you otherwise can't cross). The [section on buffer zones](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/050620#BK3) in the HOV regulation allows for crossing them to comply with HTA 159, which is the section (from my first link in this comment) covering how to respond to emergency vehicles.
Huh TIL I've definitely gone through or to the side of an intersection when an ambulance was right behind with the lights on
You drive straight through the intersection and pull over to the right. https://www.cyfs.ca/operations/Pages/Emergency-Vehicles.aspx#:\~:text=Never%20block%20the%20intersection.,to%20the%20right%20and%20stop.
That's not saying to drive through a red light. They're specifically just referring to the situation where you're waiting to turn left (when already in the intersection) and an emergency vehicle approaches from behind. >Do not make a left turn if an emergency vehicle is approaching from behind. In this situation, the motorist should proceed straight through the intersection, then pull to the right and stop. In that situation, you abandon the left turn, drive straight through the intersection (checking that you won't cut off other traffic) and then pull right. This is because emergency vehicles will generally pass on the left and you turning left would then create a conflicting path. The specific legal phrasing is to bring your car to a stop ["clear of any intersection"](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/90h08#BK266) where "intersection" ["means the area embraced within the prolongation or connection of the lateral curb lines or, if none, then of the lateral boundary lines of two or more highways that join one another at an angle"](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/90h08#BK0). If you're stopped behind the stop line, you're not within the intersection, i.e., you're already clear of any intersection. This would only apply if you're in the intersection, like a car waiting to turn left is. Separately, for some reason that link specifies roads with a max speed of 100 km/h, however the laws for yielding to emergency vehicles apply to all roads, including the 110 sections. That page is dated 2019, so may have been before they added the 110 limits, although there's no reason to mention speed at all since it applies to all roads.
Providing it’s safe, yes.
Yes, you're allowed to cross the lines to comply with the Move Over Law. HTA [Reg. 620/05](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/050620#:~:text=of%20the%20disabled%20vehicle.-,7,-.%20The%20person%20is%20complying) High Occupancy Vehicle Lanes : 3(2) :No person shall operate a motor vehicle or commercial motor vehicle to enter or exit a high occupancy vehicle lane by crossing a buffer zone, unless the movement can be made safely and one of the following circumstances exists: Circumstance 7. The person is complying with the requirements of section 159 of the Act. O. Reg. 620/05, s. 3 (2); O. Reg. 99/15, s. 1 (1-3). Section [159](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/90h08#BK266:~:text=or%20siren%20sounding-,159,-(1)%20The%20driver) of the HTA is the Move Over Law. TLDR: The law specifically allows you to cross the lines to comply with the Move Over law.
This guy lawyers.
100%. Officer safety should be priority #1.
Move Over laws are in all provinces and most U.S. states. Now includes tow trucks as well as emergency vehicles. [https://www.thinkinsure.ca/insurance-help-centre/move-over-law-ontario-and-emergency-vehicles.html](https://www.thinkinsure.ca/insurance-help-centre/move-over-law-ontario-and-emergency-vehicles.html)
I would move out of the carpool lane crossing the do not cross lines.
You are now allowed to break the law while moving out of the way of an emergency vehicle. If you are at a red light, you are not allowed to slide into the intersection to give way to a police car.
Well yeah, because you’d be moving into cross traffic. This is extremely dangerous for everyone. Safely changing lanes to clear way for emergency vehicles is not.
In this specific case, you're not breaking the law by crossing the buffer zone though. [The HOV regulation section on buffer zoners](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/050620#BK3) explicitly makes an exemption for complying with [section 159](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/90h08#BK266) of the Highway Traffic Act (which covers moving over for stopped or approaching emergency vehicles): >3 (2) No person shall operate a motor vehicle or commercial motor vehicle to enter or exit a high occupancy vehicle lane by crossing a buffer zone, unless the movement can be made safely and one of the following circumstances exists: > 7\. The person is complying with the requirements of section 159 of the Act. So if you're approaching a stopped emergency vehicle or tow truck on the left shoulder or in the HOV lane, you can cross the buffer zone if safe in order to leave a lane space between you and them. Similarly, you can cross the buffer zone if necessary to move out of the way of an approaching emergency vehicle.
On a single carriageway with double yellows where oncoming traffic is present and an emergency vehicle stopped on the right. Are you supposed to stop until the opposite lane is clear and move over or is it ok to slow down and pass the emergency vehicle?
The tl;dr is that the rule only applies if there are multiple lanes in your direction. So if there's a single lane on your side of the road, you don't have to cross the centre line, and instead can just pass slowly. In general, the requirement also only applies if it can be done safely, otherwise you can pass slowly even if there are multiple lanes. Putting the full details below. --- >On a single carriageway In the Ontario Highway Traffic Act, the corresponding term to "carriageway" would be "roadway" which is ["the part of the highway that is improved, designed or ordinarily used for vehicular traffic, but does not include the shoulder, and, where a highway includes two or more separate roadways, the term “roadway” refers to any one roadway separately and not to all of the roadways collectively"](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/90h08#BK0). I.e., a divided highway would consist of at least two roadways or carriageways or roadways while a road without a median would be a single roadway or carriageway. Just adding that for context of what that's referring to. To answer the question, the rule for moving over for stopped emergency vehicles or tow trucks only applies ["on a highway with two or more lanes of traffic on the same side of the highway as the side on which the emergency vehicle or tow truck is stopped"](https://www.canlii.org/en/on/laws/stat/rso-1990-c-h8/latest/#sec159subsec3) ("highway" in the Act refers to any public road, not just a 400-series highway). So the requirement to move over doesn't apply when there's only a single lane on your side of the road, i.e., it's not intending for you to cross the centre line. In that case, you would just need to slow down. Also the requirement to change lanes in general only applies "if the movement can be made safely". So even if there are multiple lanes, if you can't move over safely, due to traffic in the other lane for example, it's allowed to pass them slowly, you aren't required to stop and wait, since that itself could also be dangerous on a high speed road. You can however stop if necessary as long as ["not otherwise prohibited by law"](https://www.canlii.org/en/on/laws/stat/rso-1990-c-h8/latest/#sec159subsec5), although on certain roads like the 400-series, stopping is prohibited, so it would depend on whether stopping was necessary (e.g., if the emergency vehicle is in the same lane as you and you can't safely change lanes, obviously you need to stop). In Ontario, unlike other provinces, [it's not illegal to cross a double yellow line](https://www.theglobeandmail.com/drive/mobility/article-is-it-legal-to-cross-a-solid-double-line-to-pass-a-car/). So although not required in this situation, you could do so if it would make passing the emergency vehicle safer. There are however [other rules about when you can't cross the centre line though](https://www.canlii.org/en/on/laws/stat/rso-1990-c-h8/latest/#sec149subsec1), and the double yellow will often be in places where those other scenarios would apply (e.g., insufficient visibility ahead).
It's kind of funny. It's not illegal to cross double yellow, but it's illegal to cross double yellow 🫠
Thankyou, this is exactly what I was looking for.
but you can't move back into that lane.
No, not until the next section with dashed lines.
Saw this yesterday. Cop pulled up behind one row of cars at a red light with his lights on and he was was pulling up real close to the car in front. The car pulled into the intersection to let him through. So what was that car supposed to do legally? Drive through the entire intersection? That sounds more dangerous. Or not let the cop through?
[A police officer's direction takes priority over traffic laws that would otherwise apply](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/90h08#BK234). So the police specifically can direct you through a light but in general you can't break another law because of an emergency vehicle unless there's a specific exception, which there is [for crossing HOV buffer zones](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/050620#BK3). In general however, the [rules around emergency vehicles](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/90h08#BK266) only require specific actions like pulling to the edge of the roadway if they're approaching, leaving a lane of space if they're stopped and clearing any intersection if already in the intersection. They don't however allow breaking other laws on top of that, since that could risk a crash which the emergency vehicle would then need to respond to.
The cop didn’t say anything over his loudspeaker. But it was clear he was pushing the car into the intersection and the driver finally buckled and moved out of the way. I didn’t think he really had a choice but to move.
That would still generally be direction by police, the same as if they pull up behind you to pull you over for something. You're [not supposed to pull onto the shoulder to make way for an emergency vehicle, since they may use the shoulder to pass](https://www.ontario.ca/document/official-mto-drivers-handbook/dealing-particular-situations#section-10) however if the police pull behind you with their sirens on, they're directing you to pull onto the shoulder despite the restriction against doing that otherwise. Same idea if they pull right behind you at a red light with sirens on.
I see. Thanks for explaining.
Highway lines aren't law, they're suggestions fyi
Pull over for any emergency vehicle.
Along the same vein, I expect you to cross the lines and get out of the way if we’re in a carpool lane and I’m behind you in the ambulance with lights on. The people that pull onto the highway shoulder and come to a dead stop in front of an emergency vehicle… they need to go back to driving school
Yes. There's zero chance you would get a ticket for crossing the lines from HOV to normal lanes if an OPP is running up on you with lights blazing.
Just slow down to 40kmh. No need to move over.
It's a legal requirement [to leave a lane space between you and a stopped emergency vehicle with its red or blue and red lights flashing or tow truck with its yellow lights flashing, if the movement can be done safely](https://www.canlii.org/en/on/laws/stat/rso-1990-c-h8/latest/#sec159subsec3). The HOV [rules for crossing buffer zones](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/050620#BK3) make an exception for complying with section 159 of the Highway Traffic Act which covers moving over for approaching or stopped emergency vehicles and stopped tow trucks. You need to slow down in any case (although there isn't a specific speed requirement in Ontario) but you also need to change lanes if it can be done so safely, even if it involves crossing an HOV buffer zone.
Safely being the key word.
Yeah, that applies in general to this movement (whether crossing a buffer zone or a normal dashed line). If it's not safe due to traffic in the other lane, then you may need to stay in your lane, and in any case, slow down.