Our highways are not for the exclusive use of motor vehicles.
Bicycles, pedestrians, equestrians and others may be expected to use
their fair share of the highway as well. In fact, in some ways the
shoulder of the road could be considered to be their domain
and not that of the driver.
The shoulder of the highway is the area to the right of the solid white
line at the right side of the roadway, or the part of the highway to the
right of the pavement if that solid white line is not present. The
roadway is between the center of the highway
and the shoulder.
Drivers must drive on the roadway, not the shoulder. Passing on the
right off of the roadway and driving on the shoulder to allow others to
pass are common violations of this rule.
Many drivers regularly fail to confine the path of their vehicle to the
roadway, particularly in curves, putting both themselves and those on
the shoulder at risk. This can be easy to identify when the inside of a
corner is kept free of gravel or the shoulder
line is worn away in comparison to nearby straight roadway.
Bicycle riders are required to ride as near as is practical to the right
side of the highway, but not on the sidewalk or off of the pavement.
This most often means that cyclists will be found on the paved shoulder
of the road.
Pedestrians must not walk on the roadway if there is a sidewalk present.
If they choose not to use the sidewalk when only one side of the road
has one, walking on the shoulder opposite is acceptable.
Horses and horse drawn vehicles are required to use the roadway just
like the drivers of cars and trucks. Riders may choose to use the
shoulder to yield the right of way to faster motor vehicles in the same
fashion that a slow driver would.
Just as a child learns to colour properly by staying within the lines,
so must the driver. Staying between the lines is a required skill that
will serve you and other highway users well during your driving career.
It will also save wear and tear on the lines
themselves, leaving them easy to see as a guide for others.
Story URL:
https://www.drivesmartbc.ca/lanes/driving-shoulder
—
Constable Tim Schewe (Retired)
DriveSmartBC: Where better than average road users satisfy their curiosity.