As a driver, you may face all kinds of road traffic signs, but some are easy to understand & others need your more attention. Well, one of them is a soft shoulder sign. When you drive, it’s important for you to learn about soft shoulder sign meaning to avoid any danger.
This guide explains what a soft shoulder sign means. We have also discussed how a soft shoulder is different from hard shoulder.
What Does Soft Shoulder Sign Mean?
Soft shoulder sign is a type of warning sign you may see on the side of the road. It tells you that the edge of the road (shoulder) is not solid & stable to handle your vehicle’s weight. Because, this surface is made of gravel, dirt and loose soil instead of strong asphalt & concrete.
Hence, there is a risk that when you drive your car on this surface, your vehicle can slip and you might also lose control over your car. When you see soft shoulder signs around you, you should always stay on the main road.
You are not allowed to drive on soft shoulders and it’s illegal too, unless you are in emergency situations. In case your car accidentally slides off on a soft shoulder, you need to slow down your car gently and move back your vehicle on the road, otherwise this condition can be dangerous for you.
What is a Soft Shoulder in Driving?
Soft shoulders in driving mean that the area can not be used for your regular driving. That means you can only utilize it for your unexpected problems such as: if your car breaks down & you need to stop your car urgently. But still it can be dangerous for you. Always remember, soft shoulders don’t support your vehicle tires when some wheels are on a soft road and others on concrete road.
When Your Right Wheels Run onto a Soft Shoulder?
Sometimes, your car wheel can run onto a soft shoulder. This can happen if you drive your vehicle too close to the edge of the highway. As we already said, you may think the shoulder surface is safe but it doesn’t. Therefore, it can be difficult for you to control your car and it can slip. Following are some steps you can do in these situations.
- You should stay calm & never try to turn your steering wheel in a hurry.
- Stop pressing the accelerator and don’t press your vehicle brakes too hard.
- Now, put your hand on the steering wheel and let the car slow down.
- If you feel you are in safe positions, you can turn your car back on to the road.
What is a Hard Shoulder?
Hard shoulder is an emergency lane present on the left hand side of the motorway. Basically, it is used for vehicles that are broken down on the busy roads. Its main goal is to provide a safe space for you so you can pull and repair the vehicle easily without disturbing overall traffic.
The separation of the main motorway from this hard shoulder line is done with white unbroken line. Plus, for your high visibility, red reflective road studs are also installed on the white line. So, you can identify this hard shoulder and shift your damaged car easily even at night or in bad weather conditions.
Soft Shoulder vs Hard Shoulder
| Features | Soft Shoulder | Hard Shoulder |
| Drive safety | Unstable & slippery for driving. | Can be safe to drive in emergencies. |
| Ground Type | Soft ground such as dirt, gravel and loose soil. | Has a strong/paved surface like the main road. |
| Tire Grip | Your car tire can slip due to low grip on the surface. | Generally, wheels stay stable due to good traction (grip). |
| Legal Use | Illegal to drive except when you have an emergency. | You are legally allowed to stop your car on the hard shoulder. |
| Safety Risk | High risk of danger and you can lose control over your vehicle. | Less risk as compared to soft shoulders if you use it properly. |
| Place on Road | Lower than the road surface. | Has the same level as the main road. |
Possible Dangers of Soft Shoulder Road
As you know, soft shoulders are the rough and dirty road sides. This is why you can face many dangers at this place. These are some major risks that may occur if you drive on a soft shoulder.
- On a soft shoulder road your car wheels may press-down partially or completely in the soil because of its soft and gravel nature which is common in rural areas.
- Sometimes, your car wheels can get completely stuck into this soil and you can’t move your car forward or backward. In this case, you have to tow your vehicle to get on the main road.
- Roll over is the major risk of soft shoulder roads especially in case of SUV vehicles. Actually, when they shift the lane the vehicle gets unbalanced and flips over from the road.
- You will also face difficulty to handle steering, because the wheels of the car are stuck into the soil and can’t respond according to the movement of the steering. This thing also leads toward slipping of wheels.
- If you move your car suddenly from the soft shoulder to the main road then you may slip down due to the difference in road levels and height. Moreover, this accident can result in disability or death on the highways.
- Jackknifing is very common in case of tractor- trailers because when your vehicle suddenly slows down on the soft shoulder, the back side of the trailer can flip into one direction. This unexpected action can cause multiple accidents and jams the road for hours.
Perguntas frequentes
What is a Road Shoulder?
Road shoulder is the lane present nearby the main road. This road shoulder can be hard or soft, which can help you if your car is damaged or stopped unexpectedly. So, you can pull down your broken car on the shoulder and repair it easily without disturbing others.
Why is a Soft Shoulder Road Sign Used?
Actually, this sign board is used to inform you that this lane is made up of different material like loose dirt or gravel. So, you should avoid this lane if you don’t have any emergency.
Does the MUTCD Apply to Soft Shoulder Signs?
Yes! MUTCD (Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices) is applied on the soft shoulder. Basically, the soft shoulder signs are explained for you in section 2C.31 of MUTCD. Moreover, the figure and dimensions of soft shoulder are also designed according to MUTCD.
To Summarize
In the end you can see, roads can be tricky for new drivers. Also, soft shoulders add more risk if you don’t handle the situation properly. Now we hope you have all the information about soft shoulder traffic signs & their meaning. So, we advise you to stay on the main highway and follow all road safety rules. In this way, you can protect yourself and also road users around you.
Further Helpful Resources:
Highway Driving Safety Tips: Stay Safe on Highways
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