What should you do if you miss your highway exit?

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If you miss a highway exit, the safest move is to continue to the next exit and then reroute using proper ramps and local streets. Highways are built for fast, continuous traffic, and areas like the shoulder or median aren’t designed for regular driving moves. Backing up on the shoulder creates a sudden, unpredictable hazard for drivers behind you and can lead to serious crashes. Turning around in a median is also dangerous because opposing traffic may not have time to react, and many medians aren’t designed to accommodate turns. Stopping and backing up in a travel lane puts you directly in the path of high-speed vehicles and is typically illegal.

So the recommended approach is to use the next exit, exit safely, and then navigate back to your route using the appropriate ramps and local roads. If you’re unsure of the route, a GPS or map app can re-route you without forcing risky maneuvers.