Shopping on line can be easy, simple and save you lots of money. It can also take a lot of your time, frustrate you, and result in unwanted purchases. Now the same can be said for regular high street shopping, but with the vast opportunity presented by the Internet it will pay you to spend a few minutes reading this and understanding how to better optimize your Hard Shoulder shopping experience:
1. Compare - without doubt the biggest advantage that the Hard Shoulder offers shoppers today is the ability to compare thousands of Hard Shoulder at a time. This is a great thing, but not necessarily all the time! Too much can be daunting at times so take advantage of the great comparison sites and where possible let them do the hard work for you.
2. Research - if it has been said it will be on the internet. Ignorance is no longer a justifiable reason for buying the wrong thing. Take the time to research in detail everything that you could possible want to know about
3. Testimonials - don't know anybody that has bought a Hard Shoulder? Wrong! If the Hard Shoulder is good the internet will let you know. Use the Internet as a friend and get testimonials before you buy.
4. Questions - Got a question about Hard Shoulder then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....
5. Reputation - Never heard of the company selling Hard Shoulder? Don't worry, no reason why you should know every company in the world, but you know someone that does! Use the internet to find out what people are saying about Hard Shoulder and build up a picture of their reputation for sales, returns, customer service, delivery etc.
6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your Hard Shoulder wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.
7. Feedback - happy with your Hard Shoulder then let people know, after all you are depending on others people input in your buying decision, so why not give a little back.
8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the Hard Shoulder site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site
9. Contact - got a question about Hard Shoulder, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.
10. Payment - ready to pay for your Hard Shoulder, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.
A
hard shoulder, or simply
shoulder, is a reserved area by the verge of a road or
motorway. Generally it is kept clear of all traffic. 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. A hard shoulder also allows some extra flexibility should a motorist need to take evasive action, as it is a buffer area between the main thoroughfare and the edge of the road.
Emergency vehicles such as ambulances and
police cars may also use the shoulder to bypass traffic congestion. These uses lead to the alternate names
breakdown lane and
emergency lane.
General characteristics
, dashed yellow lines demarcate hard shoulders on non-motorways, as can be seen along this dual carriageway on the
N11 road.The shoulder is usually slightly narrower than a full traffic lane. In some cases, particularly on old rural roadways, shoulders do not exist or are made of
gravel rather than hard asphalt or
concrete. These are known as
soft shoulders in comparison. Because the road surface changes at that point, they are less safe if they need to be used for emergency maneuvers, so modern practice is to build a hard shoulder whenever possible. To save money, the hard shoulder is sometimes not paved to the same thickness as the through lanes, so if vehicles were to attempt to use it as a through lane regularly, it would rapidly deteriorate. The shoulder also often collects various bits of debris that can make driving there unsafe.
Drivers will sometimes drift into the shoulder when being overtaken by passing vehicles, particularly on two-lane roads. However, it is extremely unsafe, as well as often illegal, to abuse the hard shoulder by 'undertaking' passing vehicles that are nearer the centre of the road. (Some roads and expressways have a hard shoulder that is of such a narrow width that 'undertaking' is impossible.)
On many roads, the shoulder disappears for short periods, particularly near exits and sometimes when going across or under
bridges where the cost savings outweigh the disadvantages of not having the shoulder. However, some roads have a narrow shoulder for significant distances. This makes it difficult for large vehicles to pull into the hard shoulder altogether. The
Jingjintang Expressway in northeastern China is an example of this phenomenon. Its hard shoulder is 2.4 metres wide, which is not wide enough for some automobiles. As a result, some motorists are unable to fully exit the mainline when they need to pull over, so they end up in a position that is halfway in the rightmost lane and halfway in the hard shoulder. The result is often a traffic jam and occasionally something worse.
Use as Bus lanes
In some jurisdictions in the United States and Canada, buses are allowed to drive on the shoulder to pass traffic jams, which is called a
bus-only shoulder or
bus-bypass shoulder; the term "bus-only shoulder lane" is incorrect from a technical and legal standpoint Bus-Only Shoulders (Minnesota Department of Transportation). In Ontario,
Highway 403 (Ontario) had its shoulders between Hurontario Street and Erin Mills Parkway widened in 2003 so they serve a dual-purpose as bus lanes and accident lanes; in the Minneapolis-St. Paul region of Minnesota, over 270 miles of shoulder have been designated for use by buses. Bus-Only Shoulders in Minneapolis-St. Paul.
Peak period use by all traffic
In the Boston, Massachusetts Metro Area, cars are allowed to use the shoulder as they would a normal lane during morning and evening rush hours.
In the UK, usage of the hard shoulder is known as hard shoulder running. A pilot project on an 11-mile stretch of the M42 motorway, near
Birmingham began in September 2006. Special signage, new laybys and a variable speed limit have been put in place to improve safety Hard shoulder to be used in trial to combat motorway congestion.
Characteristics in various countries
Republic of Ireland
, with an unbroken yellow line (that peels away and follows the sliproad) demarcating the hard shoulder.Full-width hard shoulders are provided on most new, upgraded (from the 1980s onwards), and major
roads in Ireland in the Republic of Ireland, especially on Super two and
dual-carriageway roads (the shoulders on most
2+1 roads are narrow however). They are defined within the official document the
Rules of the Road as a part of the road that should normally only be used by cyclists and pedestrians. Their provision of on interurban routes in the 1970s reportedly resulted in a 50% decrease in accidents involving pedal cyclistsThe bicycle, a study of efficiency usage and safety., D.F. Moore, An Foras Forbatha, Dublin 1975 . The road surface is usually different, using reddish coloured surfacing that does not need to withstand heavy traffic volumes. On older roads, simple resurfacings, or short route sections, the surface may be identical to the main road lanes.
The hard shoulder is usually demarcated by road markings in the form of a single dashed yellow line with the addition of yellow
Cat's eye (road)s. On motorways, and at critical points on other routes (e.g. between junctions or sliproads, or beneath overpasses) a solid yellow line is used, denoting additional restrictions on usage of the hard shoulder. At junctions and sliproads, the yellow line peels away into the turn, with a dashed white line (with green cat's eyes) denoting a lane division following the main route (i.e. in most cases the road remains the same width, and a turn lane takes the place of the hard shoulder).
In the
2000s, Bus Éireann coaches were allowed use the hard shoulders on national roads into Dublin. However, dedicated bus lanes are now present on sections of some routes, such as the
N7 road Naas Road, and such use of actual hard shoulder (i.e. demarcated with yellow rather than white dashed line) is not universal.
United States
In the
United States, the right-hand shoulder is separated by a solid white line, and the left-hand shoulder (if the road is a
divided highway) is separated from the main road by a solid yellow line. On freeways in foggy parts of California, there is an obvious break in the line of the shoulder before every exit; this is to help drivers find their exits in heavy fog.
United Kingdom
Full width hard shoulders are usually provided only on
motorways and are usually 3.3 metres wide, but there are exceptions. Some motorways do not have hard shoulders at all (for example the
A57(M) motorway) and there are a small number of dual carriageway A-roads which do possess hard shoulders (for example, parts of the
A1 road, A2 road (Great Britain) and
A27 road). Hard shoulders are always marked with a reflectorised solid white line which is 20 cm wide and is provided with a rumble strip. A line of red Cat's eye (road) is also used, and is placed to the side of the line.
Sometimes, a hard shoulder will be coloured differently (usually red) to that of the main carriageway lanes. This is sometimes because the hard shoulder has not been resurfaced recently. The red colouring of many shoulders is because red surfacing was cheaper than black when the surface was laid. Sometimes, hard shoulders are coloured red to make it stand out from the main carriageway (for example on many of the motorways in Lancashire.)
On many modern non-motorway roads, a
hard strip is provided. These are usually 1 metre wide, and are bounded by thinner solid white lines, and often without a rumble strip.
Italy
The shoulder located on the side of
Italy's highway is normally used as emergency lane in case of breakdown or is used by emergency vehicles in case of queues. According to the regulation in force it is mandatory wear a high visibility jacket when dismounting from the vehicle stopped on emergency lane.
Normally one is not allowed to drive on the shoulder but in case of traffic block, use of the shoulder is allowed to reach an exit if the exit is within 500 meters.
Notes
See also
A
hard shoulder, or simply
shoulder, is a reserved area by the verge of a road or
motorway. Generally it is kept clear of all traffic. 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. A hard shoulder also allows some extra flexibility should a motorist need to take evasive action, as it is a buffer area between the main thoroughfare and the edge of the road. Emergency vehicles such as
ambulances and
police cars may also use the shoulder to bypass traffic congestion. These uses lead to the alternate names
breakdown lane and
emergency lane.
General characteristics
, dashed yellow lines demarcate hard shoulders on non-motorways, as can be seen along this dual carriageway on the
N11 road.The shoulder is usually slightly narrower than a full traffic lane. In some cases, particularly on old rural roadways, shoulders do not exist or are made of gravel rather than hard asphalt or concrete. These are known as
soft shoulders in comparison. Because the road surface changes at that point, they are less safe if they need to be used for emergency maneuvers, so modern practice is to build a hard shoulder whenever possible. To save money, the hard shoulder is sometimes not paved to the same thickness as the through lanes, so if vehicles were to attempt to use it as a through lane regularly, it would rapidly deteriorate. The shoulder also often collects various bits of debris that can make driving there unsafe.
Drivers will sometimes drift into the shoulder when being overtaken by passing vehicles, particularly on two-lane roads. However, it is extremely unsafe, as well as often illegal, to abuse the hard shoulder by 'undertaking' passing vehicles that are nearer the centre of the road. (Some roads and expressways have a hard shoulder that is of such a narrow width that 'undertaking' is impossible.)
On many roads, the shoulder disappears for short periods, particularly near exits and sometimes when going across or under
bridges where the cost savings outweigh the disadvantages of not having the shoulder. However, some roads have a narrow shoulder for significant distances. This makes it difficult for large vehicles to pull into the hard shoulder altogether. The Jingjintang Expressway in northeastern China is an example of this phenomenon. Its hard shoulder is 2.4 metres wide, which is not wide enough for some automobiles. As a result, some motorists are unable to fully exit the mainline when they need to pull over, so they end up in a position that is halfway in the rightmost lane and halfway in the hard shoulder. The result is often a traffic jam and occasionally something worse.
Use as Bus lanes
In some jurisdictions in the United States and Canada,
buses are allowed to drive on the shoulder to pass traffic jams, which is called a
bus-only shoulder or
bus-bypass shoulder; the term "bus-only shoulder lane" is incorrect from a technical and legal standpoint Bus-Only Shoulders (Minnesota Department of Transportation). In Ontario, Highway 403 (Ontario) had its shoulders between Hurontario Street and Erin Mills Parkway widened in 2003 so they serve a dual-purpose as bus lanes and accident lanes; in the Minneapolis-St. Paul region of Minnesota, over 270 miles of shoulder have been designated for use by buses. Bus-Only Shoulders in Minneapolis-St. Paul.
Peak period use by all traffic
In the
Boston, Massachusetts Metro Area, cars are allowed to use the shoulder as they would a normal lane during morning and evening rush hours.
In the UK, usage of the hard shoulder is known as hard shoulder running. A pilot project on an 11-mile stretch of the M42 motorway, near Birmingham began in September 2006. Special signage, new laybys and a variable
speed limit have been put in place to improve safety Hard shoulder to be used in trial to combat motorway congestion.
Characteristics in various countries
Republic of Ireland
, with an unbroken yellow line (that peels away and follows the sliproad) demarcating the hard shoulder.Full-width hard shoulders are provided on most new, upgraded (from the 1980s onwards), and major
roads in Ireland in the Republic of Ireland, especially on Super two and
dual-carriageway roads (the shoulders on most
2+1 roads are narrow however). They are defined within the official document the
Rules of the Road as a part of the road that should normally only be used by cyclists and pedestrians. Their provision of on interurban routes in the 1970s reportedly resulted in a 50% decrease in accidents involving pedal cyclistsThe bicycle, a study of efficiency usage and safety., D.F. Moore, An Foras Forbatha, Dublin 1975 . The road surface is usually different, using reddish coloured surfacing that does not need to withstand heavy traffic volumes. On older roads, simple resurfacings, or short route sections, the surface may be identical to the main road lanes.
The hard shoulder is usually demarcated by road markings in the form of a single dashed yellow line with the addition of yellow Cat's eye (road)s. On motorways, and at critical points on other routes (e.g. between junctions or sliproads, or beneath overpasses) a solid yellow line is used, denoting additional restrictions on usage of the hard shoulder. At junctions and sliproads, the yellow line peels away into the turn, with a dashed white line (with green cat's eyes) denoting a lane division following the main route (i.e. in most cases the road remains the same width, and a turn lane takes the place of the hard shoulder).
In the 2000s, Bus Éireann coaches were allowed use the hard shoulders on national roads into Dublin. However, dedicated bus lanes are now present on sections of some routes, such as the N7 road
Naas Road, and such use of actual hard shoulder (i.e. demarcated with yellow rather than white dashed line) is not universal.
United States
In the
United States, the right-hand shoulder is separated by a solid white line, and the left-hand shoulder (if the road is a divided highway) is separated from the main road by a solid yellow line. On freeways in
foggy parts of
California, there is an obvious break in the line of the shoulder before every exit; this is to help drivers find their exits in heavy fog.
United Kingdom
Full width hard shoulders are usually provided only on motorways and are usually 3.3 metres wide, but there are exceptions. Some motorways do not have hard shoulders at all (for example the
A57(M) motorway) and there are a small number of
dual carriageway A-roads which do possess hard shoulders (for example, parts of the A1 road,
A2 road (Great Britain) and
A27 road). Hard shoulders are always marked with a reflectorised solid white line which is 20 cm wide and is provided with a
rumble strip. A line of red Cat's eye (road) is also used, and is placed to the side of the line.
Sometimes, a hard shoulder will be coloured differently (usually red) to that of the main carriageway lanes. This is sometimes because the hard shoulder has not been resurfaced recently. The red colouring of many shoulders is because red surfacing was cheaper than black when the surface was laid. Sometimes, hard shoulders are coloured red to make it stand out from the main carriageway (for example on many of the motorways in Lancashire.)
On many modern non-motorway roads, a
hard strip is provided. These are usually 1 metre wide, and are bounded by thinner solid white lines, and often without a rumble strip.
Italy
The shoulder located on the side of
Italy's highway is normally used as emergency lane in case of breakdown or is used by emergency vehicles in case of queues. According to the regulation in force it is mandatory wear a high visibility jacket when dismounting from the vehicle stopped on emergency lane.
Normally one is not allowed to drive on the shoulder but in case of traffic block, use of the shoulder is allowed to reach an exit if the exit is within 500 meters.
Notes
See also
BBC NEWS | England | West Midlands | Hard shoulder scheme rolled out
A scheme which allows motorists to drive along the hard shoulder of the M42 is to be rolled out to other areas.
BBC NEWS | England | Hard shoulder plan to beat jams
A trial in the West Midlands will allow cars to use the hard shoulder along a stretch of the M42.
Public Affairs : Active Traffic Management (ATM) and hard shoulder ...
Compared to some European countries the UK was slow in developing real-time motorway control techniques like variable speed limits, peak-hour hard shoulder use and active traffic ...
Public Affairs : motorway hard-shoulder running extended - AA response ...
Motorway Hard-shoulder Running Extended. AA response. 4 March 2008 "We welcome the government's retreat from national road pricing and would support the tolling of extra capacity ...
Hard-shoulder driving lies ahead for motorways in effort to reduce ...
The hard shoulder is to be used as a running lane in peak periods on several more motorways, the Government will announce today.
Highways Agency - Press Releases
More hard shoulder running on the way for Birmingham HIGHWAYS AGENCY News Release (HA-36-08) issued by The Government News Network on 22 July 2008
Hard Shoulder Dubs
Hard shoulder scheme | Motor Insurance
The government has announced plans to extend a pilot scheme that has seen the hard shoulder of the M42 near Birmingham used as an additional lane.
Freeman - BLOG - All posts tagged 'hard shoulder'
A recent trial on part of the M42 has reduced congestion by allowing drivers to use the hard shoulder during peak periods. The Transport Secretary, Ruth Kelly, has said that the ...
Shoulder (road) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A hard shoulder, or simply shoulder, is a reserved area by the verge of a road or motorway. Generally it is kept clear of all traffic. In the event of an emergency or breakdown, a ...
