This lady tried to cut traffic by using the emergency shoulder, only to get stuck with a flat.
Cook County-area driver and Redditor /u/StaceCom shared headshaking dashcam footage from I-55 from earlier in April (Apr 13, 2026) to the /r/IdiotsInCars subreddit showing the moment this impatient driver found out the hard way why you don’t drive on the shoulder.
Check out the multi-POV view below with the original Reddit thread linked here.
The incident happened on I-55 before Exit 279A towards La Grange Rd (Exact location on Google Maps linked here.)
As the dashcam shows, OP is headed westbound on I-55.
With traffic crawling along at 30 MPH, it isn’t exactly backed up, but it’s a lot slower than people want to go.
A driver in a white Hyundai Ioniq hybrid, too tired of waiting, decides to take matters into her own hands by using the emergency shoulder to bypass some traffic.
With the emergency shoulder full of rocks, debris, broken glass, and whatever’s been pushed to the side by thousands of passing cars, it’s only meant for stopping in an emergency and not to be driven over.
This lady chances it and finds out why this is a bad idea; she gets a flat tire.
Here’s her “Why me?” hands, too.
“That was very satisfying,” one of the top comments from /u/Mits reads.
“Now they have a reason to be on the shoulder,” /u/MrDoub humoursly pointed out.
‘I had a job that sometimes had me measuring lanes, and walking on the shoulder for thousands of feet. I used to have a jar full of the metal bits I found. You should never drive on the shoulder unless absolutely necessary.” /u/Wise_Blackberry_1154 explained.
In Illinois, driving on the shoulder is typically a moving violation for improper use of the roadway. It usually carries a fine of about $75–$250+, depending on the county and circumstances, plus court costs. It can add points to your license (typically 10 points under Illinois’ system), which may contribute to suspension if you accumulate enough.
