ORLANDO, Fla. – News 6 traffic safety expert Trooper Steve Montiero answers viewer questions about the rules of the road every week, helping Orlando-area residents become better drivers by being better educated.
News 6 viewer Roger asked, “What if the traffic is at a dead stop due to a crash and I use the breakdown lane since traffic is completely stopped?”
“The viewer referred to the breakdown lane as an option to bypass stopped traffic. The breakdown lane is officially called the shoulder of the roadway and is not a means to pass traffic,” he said.
Trooper Steve said the only time a driver is authorized to drive on the shoulder of a roadway is when they are individually instructed by a first responder to do so or in an area where the “flex lane” signs are active.
“The flex lanes are an area when traffic on the main travel lines have been obstructed by either a crash or something, the flex lane sign activates, instructing drivers to bypass the obstruction on the shoulder of the road,” he said. “I understand that this is frustrating. Just because I talk about traffic does not mean I enjoy traffic. But we cannot just start driving wherever we want when we want. If this viewer is thinking, ‘This is OK,’ other viewers are actively doing it. Please, stick with the crowd on this one and wait till either traffic clears or you’re instructed to drive elsewhere.”
If you have a traffic question for Trooper Steve, submit it here.
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