How Do I Safely Change Lanes While Driving on the Highway?

A deadly two-vehicle car accident that happened on the Durham Highway recently may have been the result of a driver failing to safely change lanes. According to WTVD-TV, as the two vehicles were traveling northbound on the freeway near TW Alexander Drive, one of the cars, a Toyota Camry, began merging into the lane already occupied by the other car, a Honda Civic.

After the lane change, the two vehicles collided, sending both cars off the road. The Camry hit the fence in the median and the Civic crashed into a tree. Two passengers sitting in the back of the Honda were killed. The driver and a passenger sitting in the front seat of the Civic as well as the driver of the Camry survived the wreck but did sustain injuries.

Tips for Safely Changing Lanes While Driving on the Freeway

Here are some tips for how to safely change lanes while in traffic that is moving in the same direction as your vehicle:

• Check both your rearview and side mirrors before changing lanes
• Prior to changing lanes, look over your shoulder into the lane you intend to merge into
• Make sure there are no vehicles occupying the space in the lane you intend to merge into or that there is not a vehicle also attempting to merge into that spot from another lane
• Check that there are no vehicles approaching fast from the rear in the lane you intend to merge into
• Use your turn signal to indicate the lane you intend to merge into
• Make sure there is not a solid line on the road indicating that lane changes are prohibited along that section of the road

For more than 35 years, the North Carolina car accident lawyers at Riddle & Brantley have successfully represented the great people of North Carolina.

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