Shoulder (road)

Shoulder (road)

A hard shoulder, or simply shoulder, is a reserved area by the verge of a road or motorway. Generally it is kept clear of motor vehicle traffic. Shoulders have multiple uses, including:

• In the event of an emergency or breakdown, a motorist can pull into the hard shoulder to get out of the flow of traffic and obtain an element of safety
• Shoulders, especially paved or hard shoulders, increase road safety. They allow some extra space should a motorist need to take evasive action or need to recover control of their vehicle before a run-off-road collision occurs.
• Emergency vehicles such as ambulances and police cars may also use the shoulder to bypass traffic congestion
• Shoulders provide space for bicyclists to ride out of vehicle traffic
• In areas without sidewalks, pedestrians can walk on shoulders
• On curbed roadways, shoulders move the gutter away from the travel lanes. This reduces the risk of hydroplaning, and reduces splash and spray of stormwater onto pedestrians using an adjacent sidewalk.
• Shoulders provide structural support of the roadway
• Shoulders move water away from the roadway before it can infiltrate into the road's subbase, increasing the life expectancy of the road surface.
• In some urban areas, shoulders are used as travel lanes during peak commuting hours.