Drive reader Jannell Rodewald Brown recently found herself in a precarious situation while driving through the northern suburbs on Interstate 694.
While surrounded by other motorists, Rodewald Brown saw a vehicle traveling at a high speed weaving in and out of traffic. The driver in that car passed by, then she noticed squad cars were right behind. She was innocently caught up in a police pursuit.
“I didn’t know what to do,” she told the Drive. “Where do I go? Do I pull over? I just kept driving.”
The Minnesota Driver’s Manual says drivers on a two-way road must pull to the right and stop when emergency vehicles with lights flashing approach or attempt to pass. On roads such as freeways or highways separated by a median with travel in one direction, drivers should pull to whichever side is nearest and stop.
But when a pursuit is in progress, “that is a unique situation,” and there is no textbook answer, said Mike Hanson, director of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s Office of Traffic Safety. “You need to get safely out of the way and let law enforcement do what they need to do to safely conclude the pursuit. Find your off-ramp.”
That might mean heading to the left shoulder if that is closer, all while being cognizant that drivers may be using left lanes to pass. Going to the right shoulder is an option, too. The important thing is to get as far off the road as possible.
Drivers don’t always have much time to react in situations like these. The best advice, Hanson said, is to avoid making a panic decision, and take action that will not raise exposure to danger depending on how much time and space are available.
“I wish I had the perfect ‘must-do’ answer,” Hanson said.
