It came on a couple of days ago and I needed to get some errands done. The The Check Engine light rarely means a significant emergency under the hood. It means the onboard computer senses something it doesn't think is right. So, it's okay to drive the vehicle, but you should get it to a qualified repair shop as soon as possible. Cars vary greatly in their resistance to overheating, but the amount of time between the needle reaching the red zone and engine damage is relatively short.
Hoses bust, gaskets fail and metal parts can weld together.
If the engine begins to overheat while driving, turn on the heater. This helps draw heat away from the engine area. If the engine continues to get hotter, pull over carefully, turn off the engine, open the hood and let the engine cool for at least 30 minutes. Remember, don't immediately try to remove the radiator cap. This will only result in being sprayed with superheated coolant.