Attorney Brian White Personal Injury Lawyers | June 23, 2025 | Car Accidents
Sometimes, it isn’t possible or wise to remain on the road while driving.
Your vehicle might experience a mechanical issue that makes it unsafe to operate. You might collide with another road user, an animal, or an object on the road. Or perhaps you’re unlucky and a police officer catches you speeding. In these situations, you must slow down, pull over, and stop on the road shoulder safely and legally.
Procedures For Safely Stopping On The Side Of A Highway
When you must stop on a highway, it’s important to follow these steps:
Move To The Right
If possible, move to the right shoulder. Under Texas law, you can use the right shoulder to stop, stand, or park under any circumstances. By contrast, Texas only allows a driver to stop on the left shoulder if their vehicle is disabled or traffic prevents them from moving to the right shoulder.
The right shoulder is preferable even in emergencies because first responders use the left shoulder to pass slow or stopped traffic.
For example, suppose that you’re caught in a traffic jam caused by a wildfire. As you slow down, you’re rear-ended. If you were to park on the left shoulder, you might block firefighters responding to the wildfire. Thus, you should always move to the right if possible.
Use Your Turn Signal
You must use your turn signals when changing lanes in Texas. This alerts other drivers to the direction in which you’re planning to maneuver so they don’t attempt to pass you, leading to a lane-change crash.
Tap Your Brakes
Texas law prohibits drivers from stopping or slowing suddenly without first giving a “stop signal.” Your brake lights provide this signal whenever you stop. However, on a highway, other drivers might need additional time to slow down if you plan to pull over. Tapping your brakes and slowing down gradually will give others time to reduce their speed or change lanes to avoid you.
Stop Decisively
Once you start your maneuver, continue until you’ve completed it. The shoulder might have a drop-off that can tilt your car, or you could roll your vehicle by straddling the road and the shoulder, depending on the height difference.
Moreover, some shoulders are unpaved. Even on paved shoulders, rain or wind can push debris from the roadway onto the shoulder. When you drive partly on the road and partly on the shoulder, you can endanger other drivers by kicking up debris behind you.
Turn On Your Hazard Lights
Texas law prohibits the use of a single turn signal when parked or disabled. A driver approaching a vehicle with only one turn signal flashing might assume that the vehicle is still moving and signaling a turn.
Turn on your hazard lights instead to avoid misleading other drivers and potentially causing a car accident. This signal is universally recognized, and other drivers who see it can move to the left to avoid striking your parked vehicle. Additionally, tow truck drivers or police officers will be able to more readily identify your vehicle as disabled when you use your hazard lights.
Do Not Reverse
After reaching the shoulder, don’t shift your vehicle into reverse. Texas prohibits drivers from backing up on the shoulder.
While you may have seen other motorists make this maneuver, the practice is both illegal and dangerous. Other drivers might misinterpret reverse lights and slam on their brakes. It’s also possible for reversing drivers to inadvertently move near or into a travel lane.
Avoiding Accidents On The Shoulder
It’s essential to know how to stop safely on a shoulder to avoid accidents. Using your turn signals to share your intentions to pull over will alert other drivers before you change lanes or slow down. Once you get to the shoulder, your hazard lights can indicate to others that you’re stopped, so you can safely address your emergency and continue on your way.
Contact Our Houston Personal Injury Lawyers at Attorney Brian White Personal Injury Lawyers for Legal Help
If you have been injured in a roadside accident or any other type of motor vehicle crash in Texas, we can assist you. Call Attorney Brian White Personal Injury Lawyers to schedule a free consultation with our Houston personal injury attorneys.
For more information, contact the Houston personal injury law firm of Attorney Brian White Personal Injury Lawyers by calling (713) 500-5000.
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