Driving Guidelines

Vehicle Security & Safety

Anytime a deputy is inside a vehicle, they must have their seatbelt fastened securely to ensure the safety of all occupants.

Any time you are outside of your patrol vehicle, the doors must be locked. Supervisors may perform "lock checks" on deputies' vehicles to ensure compliance. Many criminals will attempt to steal our modified police cars in an attempt to make a quick getaway. This cannot be tolerated.

Call Response (Code 1, 2, 3)

Deputies are required to use lights & sirens appropriately when responding to calls or scenes. These standards are called "codes" and determine when to use certain equipment outfitted onto your patrol vehicle.

Code 1 - This is the standard operation of your vehicle: no lights and no sirens. This is when you are not responding to an emergency and can go from place to place in a timely manner while obeying all traffic laws.

Code 2 - This is when you are operating your vehicle with your lights on and your sirens off. Code 2 is preferred when you need to make other motorists yield to you in the interest of getting yourself to a scene/call on time. During Code 2, you may intermittently use your sirens when you need to maneuver in a way that breaks standard traffic code and/or when your lights fail to garner the attention of nearby motorists.

Code 3 - This is when you are operating your vehicle with lights and sirens on. Code 3 is used for emergencies where you need to get to where you're going as fast as humanly possible. This is typically in the case of violent crime, vehicle pursuits, panic buttons, LEO OnStar calls, or otherwise emergencies where every second counts. 

Intersection Clearing

Deputies are required to ensure safe passage through intersections by slowing down or even stopping to observe traffic flowing through the intersection they intend to pass through. This is not optional, even if the deputy is participating in a vehicle pursuit. Any deputy's failure to clear intersections can and will result in punitive action, assuming they survive. 

Initiation of Pursuits

Vehicle pursuits are extremely dangerous. They are referred to as: [3] 28 - Evading an Officer. There shall be a viable reason to initiate a pursuit.

During a pursuit, there shouldn't be more than 5 units attached to a non-violent pursuit. BCSO supervisors can attach themselves to a pursuit even if there are 5 units unless a supervisor is already attached.

For pursuits involving violent crimes, any available unit may respond. Supervisors may limit the number of units engaged at their discretion.

You are allowed to go into opposing lanes of traffic; however, you must do so in a safe manner and attempt to stay in the hard shoulder.