According to police statistics, the roadside has the third highest number of traffic accidents. Last year, there were 799 such accidents on the roads, resulting in 171 deaths and 904 injuries. Is this section of the road especially dangerous, or do drivers forget that it is not used as an additional lane for overtaking or parking?
A shoulder is a stretch of road separated by a dashed or solid line. The law prohibits a vehicle from stopping on a hard shoulder next to a solid line. An exception may be a car breakdown. The most important thing in such a situation is to correctly mark the place where the car is standing. You should immediately turn on the hazard warning lights, put on a reflective vest that will allow other drivers to see your figure from afar, and then you need to put up a warning triangle. On highways, due to the high speed of vehicles, the triangle should be located at least 100 m behind the vehicle.
– It is forbidden to drive a car on the side of the road, so who can drive it? Including pedestrians, herded animals, people on horseback, on bicycles, mopeds and sledges. It is also worth remembering that although the cyclist is obliged to drive on the side of the road, but if it is in poor technical condition, the cyclist has the right to ride on the road, explains Adam Bernard, director of the Renault Safe Driving School.
What is dangerous?
What behavior of drivers can be especially dangerous? Shoulder overtaking is definitely one of them. This simply cannot be done, and no driver haste can serve as an excuse. I would also classify seemingly polite behavior as risk-taking, i.e. pulling off the side of the road when the driver wants to make more room for an overtaking car. “Especially when he does it, like driving behind a truck without having full view of the road in the long distance. Then he may not notice a pedestrian or a cyclist who is moving along the side of the road, says Adam Bernard.
The only situation in which you can pull over is to avoid a collision with another vehicle. However, it is worth knowing that any accident involving pedestrians or other road users allowed to use the shoulder may be the responsibility of the driver who left the lane.
Source: Wprost
I am Jason Root. I work in the news website industry and mostly cover the automobile industry. I have also written for Daily News Hack. My work revolves around new car models, prices, and features. In addition, I often write about used cars and tips for buying them. My articles are meant to be helpful for those who are in the market for a new or used car.
