We have lots of two-lane road highways in south Louisiana, especially on the rural areas of the Northshore. Take for instance the Folsom Highway (Hwy 25), Highway 21 (Military Rd.) from Bogalusa through Bush, to Covington, and even Highway 36, from Covington, through Abita Springs, and to Pearl River.
Two-lane roads refer to roads with one lane of traffic in either direction. That means when you pass someone on a two-lane highway, you have to go into the oncoming lane of traffic during the pass. Even on rural roads, this can be dangerous for a variety of reasons.
First, you should always obey the passing indicator lines. Never pass over a solid stripe, as that indicates that it is not safe to pass, typically due to lack of visibility ahead (such as a turn in the road) or an upcoming intersection. Simply put, a solid stripe indicates that you don’t have time to pass the vehicle ahead of you.
But even when you have a dashed line, allowing you to pass the vehicle in front of you, be aware.
You Can Take The Following Precautions To Avoid Two-Lane Road Crashes
(1) Look in front of you to make sure there is not an oncoming vehicle in the other lane anywhere close. Err on the side of caution, as you don’t know the oncoming vehicle’s speed and how fast it is approaching.
(2) Look for cars in driveways in front of you and anticipate that they are going to enter the highway right when you try to make your pass. The car in a driveway may be turning onto the highway in the opposite direction to you and think that it is safe to enter, not knowing that you are about to use their lane for passing. (While we are on the subject, if you are about to enter onto a highway, let ALL cars in BOTH directions pass before entering the highway. You never know when a vehicle is going to try to pass another).
(3) Look behind you before passing the vehicle in front of you. Another driver may be in even more of a hurry behind you and about to pass you.
Have You Been Injured In A Two-Lane Road Accident?
If you've been injured in a two-lane road car accident contact us online or call our Covington office directly at 985.590.6182 to schedule your free consultation today. Flattmann Law serves clients on the Northshore, including Covington, Mandeville, Abita Springs, Bogalusa, Franklinton, Folsom, Hammond, Lacombe, Pearl River, and Slidell.
