What does hard shoulder mean?

What does hard shoulder mean?

The hard shoulder is the area at the side of a motorway or other road where you are allowed to stop if your car breaks down.

What is the meaning of hard shoulder on the motorway?

The hard shoulder is a hardened strip of land that runs along the edge of motorways to the left of the left-hand lane, also known as lane one. The ‘shoulder’ of a road is the land to the edge of the road. On most roads without pavements, the shoulder is a strip of grass or a hedgerow.

What is the shoulder of the road used for?

road design The shoulder is a strip of pavement outside an outer lane; it is provided for emergency use by traffic and to protect the pavement edges from traffic damage.

What does no hard shoulder mean?

(US also shoulder); (Irish English hard margin) a hard area at the side of a main road where a driver can stop if there is a serious problem.

Can you leave car on hard shoulder?

Never drive on the hard shoulder unless directed to do so by road signs or a police officer. When you stop on a hard shoulder pull over as far to the left as possible and put your hazard lights on. Get out of the car and onto the far side of the Armco barrier.

Should you stay in car on hard shoulder?

Only use an emergency area or hard shoulder in an emergency. Do not put out a warning triangle on a motorway or attempt any repairs on your vehicle because passing traffic may collide with your vehicle. Keep well away from moving traffic and your own vehicle.

What is the shoulder?

The shoulder is one of the largest and most complex joints in the body. The shoulder joint is formed where the humerus (upper arm bone) fits into the scapula (shoulder blade), like a ball and socket. Other important bones in the shoulder include: The acromion is a bony projection off the scapula.

Can you drive in the hard shoulder?

Is it illegal to drive in the hard shoulder?

It is illegal to stop on a hard shoulder if there is no emergency. Agency data shows that between July and September last year 2,062 drivers stopped on the hard shoulder when there was no emergency. It is also illegal to drive under a red X sign which is displayed when the lane ahead is closed.

What is the hard shoulder of the road?

What is the hard shoulder? The hard shoulder is a hardened strip of land that runs along the edge of motorways to the left of the left-hand lane, also known as lane one. The ‘shoulder’ of a road is the land to the edge of the road.

When to use the hard shoulder of a motorway?

When and how to use the hard shoulder. The hard shoulder: A narrow emergency lane along the left of a motorway, separated by a solid white line. Most deaths on the hard shoulder happen within 30 minutes of the driver pulling over. Using this part of the motorway should be an absolute last resort, for a breakdown or emergency.

Is it legal to drive on the hard shoulder?

If a yellow sign directs you to use the hard shoulder as a driving lane then it is perfectly legal to do so — just be aware that when the roadworks finish you’ll need to move back across to a driving lane. The final exception is smart motorways. On smart motorways there will be signs indicating if you are allowed to drive on the hard shoulder.

When can you use the hard shoulder?

When can you use the hard shoulder? In most cases there are only two legal uses for the hard shoulder – as a lane for emergency vehicles attending an incident and as a refuge for broken down vehicles.