Soft roadside should only be driven on in the case of an emergency, and even so, you should be prepared for your wheels to lose traction when moving into a soft roadside lane. © 2020 Worksafe Traffic Control. When moving onto a soft shoulder you should also be aware of the risk of losing traction and skidding. YourDictionary definition and usage example. The soft shoulder is a part of a road or highway that is unpaved and is usually covered in gavel. If you do end up driving on a hard shoulder for some period of time, be alert for a sign or other indication that you should return to your normal driving lane.The fact that a soft shoulder is usually lower in height than the roadway immediately adjacent also presents some problems with safe driving, and it’s another reason why you should avoid navigating down a soft road shoulder. First of all, a shoulder is the "breakdown lane". If you do happen to meander onto the soft shoulder, make sure you gradually return to the pavement. If you want to know more or withdraw your consent to all or some of the cookies, please refer to our privacy policy. Can you tell the difference between these two signs?For your written knowledge test you are often asked to identify a number of common road signs by shape, color, symbol, or message. Not only is it dangerous to drive on a soft roadside, but it’s actually illegal, so keep that in mind as well when you see one of the signs. Generally speaking, Not only is it dangerous to drive on a soft roadside, but it’s actually illegal, so keep that in mind as well when you see one of the signs. A Soft Shoulders sign is meant to warn drivers about the difference in these two surfaces, and to alert everyone that driving on the shoulder is likely to be hazardous and unstable. Many accidents are caused by drivers who panic and steer abruptly back onto the roadway.

For any other instances than these, it is illegal to drive on a hard shoulder, even if it is considerably safer than soft shoulder driving.There will also be occasions when traffic police may direct you to drive by on a hard shoulder because an accident or because a collision has taken place on the road up ahead. By closing this banner, clicking a link or browsing otherwise, you agree to the use of cookies. Let your vehicle slow to a reasonable speed.

Hold you steering wheel tightly and use brakes only if necessary.Remember to turn on emergency flashers while you are stopped on a shoulder.When you move back onto the paved portion of the roadway, wait until there is a large gap in traffic.

They are meant to provide a refuge for any vehicles which become broken down in transit, so they can safely be channeled away from the traffic flow.Hard shoulders also double as an emergency lane. The definition of a soft shoulder is the soft, unpaved ground along the edge of a highway. In fact, that is at least part of the intent for having a hard shoulder installed in the first place. You may have been driving along at some point, and you’ve seen a sign which declares that there is a Soft Shoulder up ahead, and you may have wondered exactly what that means. The shoulder refers to the area of the road just outside the main road. Shoulder Signs: placed in advance of locations where the shoulder is lower than the road or the shoulder is soft (not paved). On a busy road such as a freeway, the soft shoulder is the area at the side of the road where vehicles are allowed to stop in an emergency.

[ US ] regional note: in BRIT, use hard shoulder COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary . Wait until you have full control off your vehicle.

n. A border of soft earth running along the edge of a road. Signal and gradually steer back onto the road. The low shoulder sign is used where the shoulder is as much as 3 inches below the level of the road.

Increase speed when you are on the road, not on the shoulder.This website or its third-party tools use cookies designed to give you the best experience.