Under what circumstances can you park on the highway emergency lane?
3 Answers
Highway emergency lanes are only for emergency vehicles, including police cars, fire trucks, ambulances, and engineering rescue vehicles performing urgent tasks. These vehicles are allowed to drive in the emergency lane. Specific emergency situations include: Tire blowout, brake failure or steering loss, accidents, fires, explosions, and other unexpected incidents. Only under these circumstances can you park in the emergency lane. Parking on the highway emergency lane is not allowed in any other situations. Temporary parking measures for the emergency lane: If you encounter a genuine emergency or an unsolvable issue like a vehicle breakdown, park the car in the emergency stopping area, turn on the hazard warning lights, and place a warning triangle 150 meters behind the vehicle. During nighttime, rain, fog, or other low-visibility conditions, increase the distance for the warning triangle to over 200 meters and also turn on the side marker lights, tail lights, and rear fog lights. If necessary, promptly call the highway emergency rescue number 12122 for assistance.
From a safety perspective, the emergency lane on highways should never be used for random stops. The only legally justifiable reasons to stop are life-threatening vehicle malfunctions or severe health emergencies, such as loss of steering control, a tire blowout, or the driver experiencing unbearable chest pain. If you must stop, remember these critical steps: immediately activate your hazard lights, ensure all passengers quickly move outside the guardrail, park as close to the guardrail as possible without obstructing the lane, place a reflective warning triangle 150 meters behind the vehicle, and promptly call 122 for assistance—attempting DIY repairs is strongly discouraged. Those who illegally stop for trivial reasons like bathroom breaks, retrieving luggage, or taking naps face a 200-yuan fine and 6 penalty points. More critically, blocking emergency vehicles could cost lives by delaying rescue efforts.
Technically speaking, there are only two situations where you can stop in the emergency lane: first, when the vehicle is completely immobilized due to mechanical failures such as sudden engine stall or smoke from the engine; second, when there is a life-threatening emergency for passengers, such as a heart attack or a pregnant woman going into labor. In these cases, don’t hesitate—immediately check the traffic behind you for safety, then slowly pull over to the side, steering left to stop as close to the edge as possible. Once stopped, turn on the hazard lights and all vehicle lights immediately, and have everyone exit the vehicle and move outside the guardrail. Reasons like a flat tire, a dropped phone under the seat, or a pet running around are not valid—you must drive to the nearest service area to handle these issues. Remember, if you see a semi-truck speeding toward you in the rearview mirror, forget about the car—prioritize your life and jump over the guardrail to escape immediately.
