Drivers today are too comfortable pulling over and stopping on the shoulder or median. Most of them likely don’t consider the danger they are putting themselves and others in by doing so.
Pulling off the road should be a last resort, reserved for emergencies.
Parking on the shoulder while dozens of cars whizz past you at high speeds can lead to injury or death. Unfortunately, sometimes, it may be your only choice. Here’s what you should know in order to make the safest choices.
Why is it dangerous to pull over on the highway?
Some of the main risk factors on our roads are speeding and other forms of aggressive driving, drunk or impaired driving, and distracted driving. Each of these behaviors endangers other drivers and pedestrians.
Large-truck drivers are likely to endanger passenger vehicles on the side of the road because of their blind spots. Semi tractor-trailers and other commercial motor vehicles are longer and taller than cars. They have large blind spots at the front, rear and sides.
Because large trucks usually drive in the far-right lane, they are closer to parked cars than some other vehicles. A trucker who is drowsy or distracted might swerve or drive too closely to the shoulder. They can then sideswipe or rear-end a parked car, leading to serious injury or death.
Nighttime adds another level of danger. Darkness decreases visibility. This is why it is necessary that, if you must pull over due to an emergency, you take extra measures to make yourself and your vehicle visible. We will discuss this more later in the article.
Is it legal to park on the shoulder of the road?
The law advises that drivers should only park on the shoulder of the road in emergencies.
When to pull over on the interstate
If continuing to drive endangers you and other drivers, you may need to pull over. Mechanical issues or failures can be emergencies.
If you are signaled to pull over by a police officer, do so safely, and make sure you are parked as far from the side of the roadway as possible.
In other cases, drivers should not occupy the shoulder or roadside. If you need to pull over but it is not an immediate emergency, wait for the closest exit.
Safety tips for pulling off the road
It is important that you pull off the road with caution, not braking suddenly or swerving across lanes.
Here are some steps to take to make pulling over safer:
- Gradually slow down
- Use hazard flashers to notify other drivers
- Pull off to the side slowly
- Get as far to the right as possible
- Check your mirrors before exiting your vehicle
- Put your parking brake on
When you are ready to return to the road, assume the vehicles are driving faster than the speed limit. Wait until there is a gap in traffic large enough to allow you to safely reenter the roadway and catch up to speed.
How to prepare before leaving your house
Often, drivers pull over because of car trouble, like a flat tire or an overheating engine. Taking a few minutes to check your vehicle and ensure you’re prepared for a safe trip can be lifesaving.
Make sure these things are working and ready before you hit the highway or interstate:
- Fluids: engine oil, coolant, brake fluid, transmission fluid, etc.
- Alternator and battery
- Tires: in good shape and properly inflated
- Hazard lights, flashers, triangles: to put out in case you have to pull over
- Fluorescent clothing: brightly colored or reflective vest, shirt or sweatshirt
Roadside and shoulder wrecks
In 2022, there were about 14,164 fatal motor vehicle crashes that occurred off the roadway (on the shoulder, median, or another area off the side of the road). This is a 13% increase from the 12,529 fatal roadside crashes recorded in 2018.
Of the fatal crashes in 2022, large trucks were involved in 757.
Many of the people killed in these wrecks were likely the victims of distracted driving. It has grown worse over the past five years and causes countless motor vehicle wrecks. When drivers are distracted — by texting, talking on the phone, looking in the mirror, reaching into the backseat, or any number of things — tragic wrecks occur in mere seconds.
The number of injury-only wrecks that occurred off the roadway in 2022 is staggering: 293,972. Interestingly, this is a 13% decrease from five years prior. So, the number of injury-only roadside wrecks has decreased by the same percentage that the number of fatal roadside wrecks increased.
Filtering the data to look at the injury-only roadside wrecks that involved heavy trucks, we see that 13,719 occurred in 2022, a 22% increase from 2018.
Roadside crashes are becoming deadlier, and the number of large commercial motor vehicles involved is increasing, as data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows.
Let’s look at the number of fatal crashes that occurred off the roadway in 2022 in each of the seven states in which Craig, Kelley & Faultless attorneys are licensed to practice law.
Tennessee: 476
Ohio: 473
Illinois: 398
Missouri: 381
Indiana: 319
Kentucky: 296
Iowa: 135
Each of these states experienced an increase in the number of fatal crashes of this nature when compared to 2018.
What do I do if I was hit while parked on the side of the road?
Wrecks between a moving and a parked vehicle can be disastrous. As a passenger vehicle driver, you should know that pulling off the road isn’t always the best option. Many times, it can make you more unsafe.
When other drivers fail to pay attention and don’t see your parked car, they can cause serious accidents. Drivers of semis or tractor-trailers have large blind spots and are even less likely to see you.
If you experience an emergency and must pull over, do what you can to stay safe. However, you cannot always protect yourself from other drivers’ negligence. If a truck driver struck you and/or your vehicle while you were pulled off the road and it resulted in serious injury or death, you can contact qualified truck-wreck attorneys at Craig, Kelley & Faultless.
Contact us for a free consultation today by calling (800) 746-0226 or filling out our online form.
David W. Craig sits on the Board of Regents of the Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys (which requires the board certification in truck accident law). He is the managing partner and one of the founding partners of Craig, Kelley & Faultless LLC. He is recognized as a Top 10 Trucking Trial Lawyer and Top 100 Trial Lawyer in Indiana by the National Trial Lawyers, as well as a Top 50 Indiana lawyer by Super Lawyers. David is the author of Semitruck Wreck, A Guide for Victims and Their Families, written to help people navigate a terrible situation by answering questions that come after a tragic wreck. He also hosts the podcast After the Crash, where you can gain valuable information about the dangers involving semis and large trucks that do not follow Indiana law safety protocol regarding speed, weather conditions, maintenance upkeep, etc.
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