What does emergency response driving include?

Emergency response driving encompasses several driving techniques and strategies that are critical for law enforcement officers when responding to urgent situations. This includes pursuit driving, which involves chasing suspects who are fleeing from law enforcement, as well as other immediate responses to emergencies such as accidents, violent crimes, or public safety threats.

In emergency response driving, officers must prioritize speed and urgency while simultaneously exercising caution to ensure the safety of themselves, other drivers, and pedestrians. This type of driving is fundamentally different from standard traffic compliance, which focuses on adhering to traffic laws without the pressure of an emergency. While caution is important, emergency response driving is characterized by the necessity of rapid, decisive actions that may involve exceeding speed limits and disregarding certain traffic laws when it is safe and justified to do so. This ensures that law enforcement can effectively respond to incidents that require immediate attention, making the distinction between emergency driving and regular driving critical for law enforcement training and operations.