A flat tire, an overheating engine, a mechanical failure, or a sudden warning light can force a driver to do something most people would rather avoid: pull onto the shoulder of an Atlanta interstate.
Getting out of active traffic may feel like reaching safety. It is not always safe.
On I-75, I-85, I-20, I-285, and other heavily traveled routes, disabled vehicles may sit only feet from traffic moving at highway speeds. Drivers who drift from their lanes, fail to recognize a stopped vehicle, or move onto the shoulder can turn a routine roadside emergency into a catastrophic collision.
The Shoulder Offers Less Protection Than It Appears
Highway shoulders provide space for emergencies, law enforcement activity, and disabled vehicles, but they do not create a physical barrier between stopped motorists and passing traffic.
The danger can increase when:
- A shoulder is unusually narrow.
- A disabled vehicle cannot move completely out of a travel lane.
- Darkness or poor visibility makes the vehicle difficult to see.
- Traffic congestion creates frequent lane changes.
- A curve or hill limits an approaching driver’s sight distance.
- Road construction changes the available shoulder space.
- A driver or passenger must exit the vehicle near moving traffic.
People standing beside a disabled vehicle are particularly vulnerable. With no vehicle structure surrounding them, a high-speed impact can cause catastrophic or fatal injuries.
Why Do Moving Vehicles Enter the Shoulder?
When a stopped vehicle is struck, determining why the moving vehicle left its lane can be an important part of the investigation.
Distraction is one possibility. A driver looking at a phone, navigation system, or something inside the vehicle may gradually drift onto the shoulder without realizing it. Fatigue, impairment, excessive speed, or an unsafe lane change may also contribute.
Commercial trucks pose additional risks because of their size and width. A slight deviation from the travel lane can place part of a tractor-trailer dangerously close to a disabled vehicle or someone standing beside it.
Other collisions occur when motorists intentionally use the shoulder to bypass congestion, creating a danger for people who reasonably believed they had moved away from active traffic.
A Secondary Collision May Be More Serious Than the Initial Emergency
A vehicle on the shoulder may be there because of an earlier crash or mechanical problem. When another vehicle subsequently strikes it, investigators may need to separate the events and determine who caused each stage of the incident.
That distinction can become especially important when multiple vehicles, commercial carriers, or insurance policies are involved.
Evidence such as roadway debris, vehicle damage, dash-camera footage, traffic cameras, witness accounts, electronic vehicle data, and photographs of the scene may help reconstruct where the disabled vehicle was positioned and how the later collision occurred.
Understanding the Full Sequence Matters
A shoulder collision can unfold in seconds, but determining responsibility may require examining what happened well before impact. Where the vehicle stopped, whether hazard lights were activated, how much shoulder space was available, and what the approaching driver was doing can all become relevant.
At Ashby Thelen Lowry, our Atlanta personal injury attorneys investigate serious highway collisions to understand the full sequence of events that placed someone in harm’s way.
If you or someone you love suffered catastrophic injuries while stopped on the shoulder of an Atlanta-area interstate, call (404) 777-7771 or contact us online to discuss what happened and learn more about your legal options.