{"data":{"id":"us-ky/krs-189.940","jurisdiction":"us-ky","citation":"KRS 189.940","heading":"Exemptions from traffic regulations.","body":"(1) Except as provided in KRS 189.920, the speed limitations set forth in the Kentucky\nRevised Statutes do not apply to:\n(a) 1. Emergency vehicles when responding to emergency calls;\n2. Police vehicles when in pursuit of an actual or suspected violator of the\nlaw;\n3. Ambulances when transporting a patient to medical care facilities; or\n4. Any vehicle used by an organ procurement organization while\ntransporting a human organ or tissue for the purpose of organ recovery\nor transplantation in an emergency situatio n involving an imminent\nhealth risk; and\n(b) Emergency vehicles when the driver thereof is giving the warning required by\nsubsection (5)(a) and (b) of this section.\nNo portion of this subsection shall be construed to relieve the driver of the duty to\noperate the vehicle with due regard for the safety of all persons using the street or\nhighway.\n(2) The driver of an emergency vehicle, when responding to an emergency call, or of a\npolice vehicle in pursuit of an actual or suspected violator of the law, or of an\nambulance transporting a patient to a medical care facility and giving the warning\nrequired by subsection (5) of this section, upon approaching any red light or stop\nsignal or any stop sign shall slow down as necessary for safety to traffic, but may\nproceed past such red or stop light or stop sign with due regard for the safety of\npersons using the street or highway.\n(3) The driver of an emergency vehicle, when responding to an emergency call, or of a\npolice vehicle in pursuit of an actual or suspected v iolator of the law, or of an\nambulance transporting a patient to a medical care facility, or a vehicle used by an\norgan procurement organization transporting a human organ or tissue, and giving\nwarning required by subsection (5) of this section, may drive on the left side of any\nhighway or in the opposite direction of a one -way street provided the normal lanes\nof traffic are blocked and he or she does so with due regard for the safety of all\npersons using the street or highway.\n(4) The driver of an emergenc y or public safety vehicle may stop or park his vehicle\nupon any street or highway without regard to the provisions of KRS 189.390 and\n189.450, provided that, during the time the vehicle is parked at the scene of an\nemergency, at least one (1) warning light is in operation at all times.\n(5) The driver of an emergency vehicle desiring the use of any option granted by\nsubsections (1) through (3) of this section shall give warning in the following\nmanner:\n(a) By illuminating the vehicle's warning lights contin uously during the period of\nthe emergency; and\n(b) By continuous sounding of the vehicle's siren, bell, or exhaust whistle; unless\n(c) The vehicle is an ambulance and the driver is of the opinion that sounding of\nthe siren, bell, or exhaust whistle would be detrimental to the victim's health.\nIn the event the driver of an ambulance elects not to use the siren, bell, or\nexhaust whistle he or she shall not proceed past red lights or drive in the\nopposite direction on a one -way street or in oncoming lanes of traffic unless\nno other vehicles are within five hundred (500) feet of the front of the\nambulance.  The driver shall not extinguish the warning lights during the\nperiod of the emergency.\n(6) No driver or operator of any emergency or public safety or other vehicle shall use\nthe warning lights or siren, bell, or exhaust whistle of his or her vehicle for any\npurposes or under any circumstances other than those permitted by KRS 189.910 to\n189.950.\n(7) KRS 189.910 to 189.950 does not relieve the driver of any emergency or public\nsafety vehicle from the duty to drive with due regard for the safety of all persons\nand property upon the highway.\n(8) The driver of a public safety vehicle which also meets the definition of a slow -\nmoving vehicle under KRS 189.810 and any vehicle acting as an escort for the\nslow-moving vehicle may travel at a speed that may impede or block the normal and\nreasonable movement of traffic if:\n(a) The vehicle is being operated in an official capacity;\n(b) Operation of the vehicle is in compliance with all state and local government\npolicies; and\n(c) It is necessary for the safe operation of the vehicle.","path":["KRS Chapter 189"],"source_url":"https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=52874","current_through":"Includes enactments through the 2026 Regular Session","vintage":"09/05/2026","retrieved_at":"2026-09-05T20:51:44Z","sha256":"68fa703d6ea681e271c1db965e4657104a5ff79163b464319d16b00bd94610cc","source_id":"us-ky","stale":false,"prev":"us-ky/krs-189.930","next":"us-ky/krs-189.945"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}