S 5661 NY
Relates to the operation of vehicles on approach of authorized emergency vehicles
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Summary
This bill amends New York's vehicle and traffic laws to require drivers to create a "rescue lane" in the center of the roadway when authorized emergency vehicles approach with red lights and audible signals. On multi-lane roads, drivers in the leftmost lane must move to the left edge, drivers in the rightmost lane must move to the right edge, and center lane drivers must move toward either side to create a clear center lane for emergency vehicles. On one-lane roads, drivers must move as far to the right as possible. When traffic is moving slowly, stopped, or in gridlock, drivers are required to create a rescue lane by moving to the edges of the roadway to allow emergency vehicles to pass through the center. The law does not relieve emergency vehicle drivers from the duty to drive with reasonable care.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Official abstract
Requires drivers to create a center rescue lane on approach of authorized emergency vehicles.
Sponsor (1)
- Peter Oberacker Republican · primary
Action history (4)
- Feb 26, 2025 REFERRED TO TRANSPORTATION · upper
- Jan 7, 2026 REFERRED TO TRANSPORTATION · upper
- Mar 10, 2026 NOTICE OF COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION - REQUESTED · upper
- May 5, 2026 REPORTED AND COMMITTED TO CITIES 1 · upper
Text versions (2)
Full text
Full text imported from assembly.state.ny.us
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Bill No.: Summary Actions Committee Votes Floor Votes Memo Text LFIN Chamber Video/Transcript S05661 Summary: BILL NO S05661   SAME AS SAME AS A06564
  SPONSOR OBERACKER   COSPNSR   MLTSPNSR   Amd §1144, V & T L   Requires drivers to create a center rescue lane on approach of authorized emergency vehicles.
Go to top S05661 Text:
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________
5661
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
February 26, 2025 ___________
Introduced by Sen. OBERACKER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation
AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to operation of vehicles on approach of authorized emergency vehicles
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 1144 of the vehicle and traffic law, as amended by 2 chapter 300 of the laws of 1960, subdivision (a) as amended by chapter 3 606 of the laws of 1994, is amended to read as follows: 4 § 1144. Operation of vehicles on approach of authorized emergency 5 vehicles. (a) Upon the immediate approach of an authorized emergency 6 vehicle equipped with at least one lighted lamp exhibiting red light 7 visible under normal atmospheric conditions from a distance of five 8 hundred feet to the front of such vehicle other than a police vehicle or 9 bicycle when operated as an authorized emergency vehicle, and when audi- 10 ble signals are sounded from any said vehicle by siren, exhaust whistle, 11 bell, air-horn or electronic equivalent; the driver of every other vehi- 12 cle shall yield the right of way and shall immediately drive to a posi- 13 tion parallel to, and as close as possible to [ the right-hand ] either 14 edge or curb of the roadway to create a rescue lane in the center , or to 15 [ either edge of a one-way roadway three or more lanes in width ] the 16 right-hand edge of a roadway one lane in width , clear of any inter- 17 section, and shall stop and remain in such position until the authorized 18 emergency vehicle has passed, unless otherwise directed by a police 19 officer. 20 (b) In instances when traffic is moving slowly, stopped, or in grid- 21 lock drivers shall create a rescue lane to allow authorized emergency 22 vehicles to pass. On roadways with multiple lanes of traffic drivers in 23 the leftmost lane shall move to the left edge of the roadway, drivers in 24 the rightmost lane shall move to the right edge of the roadway, and 25 drivers in the center lanes shall move toward the left or right to
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD10331-01-5
S. 5661 2
1 create a clear lane in the center of the roadway until the authorized 2 emergency vehicle is passed. On a one lane roadway drivers shall move as 3 far to the right as possible until the authorized emergency vehicle is 4 passed. 5 (c) This section shall not operate to relieve the driver of an author- 6 ized emergency vehicle from the duty to drive with reasonable care for 7 all persons using the highway. 8 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
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