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Departmental Order No. 509 Page 2 "Leqalitv of Officers' Actions" A peace officer driving a vehicle must comply with n6r~al "rules of the road" governing driving. The officer is exempt from following these rules wh'ile driving in response to an emergency call or in i~mediate pursuit of an actual or suspected violator of the law and the vehicle is sounding a siren and displaying a lighted red lamp visible from the front (Vehicle Code Section 21055). The exemption from following normal "r~les of the road" does not relieve the'driver of a vehicle from the duty to drive with due regard for the safety of persons using the highway or protect an officer from the consequences of an arbitrary exercise of the privilege exempting the officer from normal driving rules (Vehicle Code Section 20156, 21807). PROCEDURE: I US~ OF E)u~GENCY F~U/PMENT Pursuant California Vehicle to Code, emergency lights and siren ~hall be used on all vehicle pursuits at all tim~s. If for any, reason the emergency equipment fails, the pursuit must be discontinued by the unit experiencing the failure, or be continued Code One. II INITIATING A PURSUIT A. Officers intending to stop a vehicle should '~e in close proximity of the violator's ve~icle before, activ~ting the emergency lights and attemptlng to stop ~he vehicle. This may tend to reduce the violator's temptation to evade police contact. Officer should assess the driving conditions and determine if he/she can pursue with due regard for the safety of others. Factors to consider are: Traffic/Roadway Conditions - Is the area congested with vehicular traffic and/or pedestrians. Equipment - Is the police vehicle in good repair and capable of continuing safely. Weather Conditions - Bright sun could affect other motorists visibility; rain conducive to hydroplaning; hot weather and oil could cause loss of control.