Car parked on the shoulder of the interstate - do you change lanes? (vehicle, lane)
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When you are driving on the interstate and you observe a vehicle parked on the shoulder do you merge over and put a lane between you and the car on the shoulder? Do you do nothing? Case by case basis?
Truckers change lanes when we can because of the possibility that someone may step out of the vehicle and into the path of traffic.
In our case there is also the problem of wind blast and the debris that is always stirred up.
So I say, change lanes if it's safe but at least keep the speed down and keep your eye out for trouble. Many times when traffic is light I have just moved over just half a lane to give whoever might be there a little more room.
Personally, I always move over and give the car space. I am concerned that the car could pull out into traffic and there would be very little time to react if that happened. I figure it doesn't take much time or effort to change lanes so why not? I can't figure any downsides to do it.
Sometimes - If I can, I generally do, but if its crowded on the highway, you don't always have the option. For any flashing lights I do though since it indicates to me that there are people on the ground and outside of vehicles.
As long as it is safe to do so, I always change lanes to allow a "buffer zone" as I've been in disabled cars before. Its scary to be in or around your car when traffic in the immediate lane to your left is going 75+ mph.
In addition, I always change lanes when a car is stopped by a police officer purely for the safety of the officer, who is often out of their car and completely exposed to risk.
If it is safe to do so I move over. You never know what that car is doing there or if the driver is about to hop out or cut back into traffic without looking.
People do stupid things all the time.
There is now a law in my state that when approaching an emergency vehicle on a highway be it a cop who has a car pulled over or a tow truck with its lights on we are to move over if safe to do so.
When you are driving on the interstate and you observe a vehicle parked on the shoulder do you merge over and put a lane between you and the car on the shoulder? Do you do nothing? Case by case basis?
Assuming I can I always do, I'll also do that for merging traffic. If there is cop on the shoulder with a car pulled over it's the law in PA you have to move over if possible.
If a vehicle is obviously not occupied and no one is near the vehicle, not usually. But if there is someone in the car, or I'm not sure, I'll move over if I can easily. I will at least slow down a bit if I don't move over.
For any emergency vehicle or road construction vehicle, the Texas law is to move over or slow down to 20 mph below the speed limit.
Generally, yes ... if I can move to the left lane safely - without cutting someone off - and then back to the right lane, where I belong unless passing someone in the right lane.
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