Never pull over on the side of a busy road!
This sad but true story happened recently: a woman had pulled over to help another driver recover a bicycle from their road that had fallen off his rack. After getting back in her car she was rear-ended by a young man who was reportedly driving under the influence. She was killed.
Although friendly help may be the morally right thing to do, you should never stop on a highway unless you can safely pull into the clear, for example at a designated parking area. Even cops pulling drivers over get hit from behind regularly despite having warning lights on. Let the professionals clear foreign objects and debris off the road - this is nobody else's business. And tie down any cargo securely so that you don't lose it.
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Dr. Jurgen Brune, P.E., RM
Research Professor
Colorado School of Mines
Golden CO United States
(303) 273-3704
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