[§291C-221.5]  High occupancy vehicle lanes;emergencies.  (a)  Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, when a roadwayincludes one or more lanes for traffic moving in the same direction thatinclude a high occupancy vehicle lane or zipper lane, and at least one laneother than a high occupancy vehicle lane or zipper lane is closed by lawenforcement officers or emergency services personnel because of a trafficincident or accident, any motor vehicle, regardless of the number of personscarried, that can safely enter the high occupancy vehicle lane or zipper laneshall, subject to subsection (b), be allowed to use the high occupancy vehiclelane or zipper lane.

(b)  For the purposes of subsection (a), thedirector of transportation shall have the authority to declare an emergency toopen the use of high occupancy vehicle lanes and zipper lanes to all motorvehicles regardless of the number of persons carried.

(c)  For the purposes of this section:

"Accident" means an unplanned eventinvolving a motor vehicle, resulting in damage to one or more motor vehicles,property damage, or personal injury.

"Incident" includes any accident orissue that disrupts the flow of traffic. [L 2009, c 82, §2]