The Dangers of Pulling off to the Side of a Road or Highway

Progress-Index.com reported on December 25, 2013 that several people were hurt when their minivan was struck by a car that ran into them. The driver and passenger of the minivan had pulled over to the shoulder of the road (on Interstate 95) to change positions so the passenger could drive. Though they were on the shoulder of the road, they were struck be a second car. One of the people (the driver or passenger) was hospitalized with injuries that were serious but not life-threatening. Two others (presumably from the minivan) had minor injuries. The accident, according to Virginia State Police, happened around 8 in the morning.

Changing drivers, getting something out of the trunk of the car, or being out of your vehicle for any reason on the shoulder of a road or highway does have numerous dangers and should be avoided if at all possible. Unless a vehicle is broken down and immobile, the driver should continue to the next off ramp and stop in a safe place.

If you must pull your car over on the side of a roadway, here are some things you can do to increase safety:

• Vehicles that pull off to the side of the road should use their hazard lights.
• Use a flare or create some audible sound to alert other drivers to their location.
• If one must pull off to the side, make sure the shoulder is well off of the area where cars are traveling and there is nothing to potentially create the illusion that the vehicle is actually parked in a lane.
• Never pull off to the side in a construction area, as there is often too much confusion as to where the ‘road’ is.

Contact an Experienced Norfolk Accident Lawyer Today

At Joe Miller Law, we know what it takes to represent individuals injured in car accidents that occur on the side of a roadway. A few years ago we obtained a significant recovery for a passenger who was getting something out of the trunk of the car at the request of the driver. He was pinned in between two vehicles and his leg was crushed when a car was knocked into the rear of the vehicle he had been in by an 18-wheeler tractor trailer. The area where the driver had pulled off was a construction area and it was apparently mistakenly viewed as another lane by the driver of the car that was knocked into our client as well as the 18-wheeler. With our experience handling cases such as this, you know you can trust your case to the Norfolk legal team at Joe Miller Law. Call us today at (888) 694-1671 to learn more.