What does hard shoulder mean?

[KingDella]

Hard shoulder refers to the part of the shoulder adjacent to the carriageway and paved with a certain strength road surface structure (including the marginal strip). It serves to protect and support the road surface structure, providing space for vehicles to detour or temporarily park in case of breakdown, and can withstand the force of vehicle loads. On mixed-traffic roads, it facilitates the passage of non-motorized vehicles and pedestrians. Depending on its location, hard shoulders can be categorized into left hard shoulder and right hard shoulder; based on the materials used, they can be divided into asphalt hard shoulder and cement hard shoulder. If a driver accidentally veers off the carriageway or needs to avoid an accident or obstacle ahead, the hard shoulder provides a buffer space for the vehicle to return to normal driving conditions. Studies have shown that the installation of vibration strips on hard shoulders can effectively reduce the incidence of vehicles running off the road.