Veh. Code, § 21719 · Article 2. Additional Driving Rules
Veh. Code, § 21719
Text — As published in the Legislative Counsel's database, tables dated October 18, 2026 (pubinfo_2025.zip)
(a) Notwithstanding any other law, in the event of an emergency occurring on a roadway that requires the rapid removal of impediments to traffic or the rendering of assistance to a disabled vehicle obstructing a roadway, a tow truck driver who is operating under an agreement with the law enforcement agency responsible for investigating traffic collisions on the roadway, summoned by the owner or operator of a vehicle involved in a collision or that is otherwise disabled on the roadway, or operating pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 2430.1 may utilize the center median or right shoulder of a roadway if all of the following conditions are met:
(1) A peace officer employed by the investigating law enforcement agency is at the scene of the roadway obstruction and has determined that the obstruction has caused an unnecessary delay to motorists using the roadway.
(2) A peace officer employed by the investigating law enforcement agency has determined that a tow truck can provide emergency roadside assistance by removing the disabled vehicle and gives explicit permission to the tow truck driver allowing the utilization of the center median or right shoulder of the roadway.
(3) The tow truck is not operated on the center median or right shoulder at a speed greater than what is reasonable or prudent having due regard for weather, visibility, the traffic on, and the surface and width of, the roadway, and in no event at a speed that endangers the safety of persons or property.
(4) The tow truck displays flashing amber warning lamps to the front, rear, and both sides while driving in the center median or right shoulder of a roadway pursuant to this section.
(b) For purposes of this section, “utilize the center median” includes making a U-turn across the center median.
Notes and commentary — not statutory text
History
Amended by Stats. 2016, Ch. 208, Sec. 14. (AB 2906) Effective January 1, 2017.
Source of truth
- Edition
- As published in the Legislative Counsel's database, tables dated October 18, 2026 (pubinfo_2025.zip)
- Official file
- https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=VEH§ionNum=21719.
- Text hash
- sha256 239ea7db0d38c368fa3475512a9b435cf5d92a81911e324f7d4229ff874cad09
- Composed by
- compose_ca.py 2026-10-22: the Legislative Counsel's CAML content files read by a tokenizer (caml_readers.reader_a); an independent xml.etree reading (caml_readers.reader_b) agrees on every section
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Vehicle Code
Procedural information only. Not legal advice and not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. Confirm the current text with the official publisher before relying on it.