Hard shoulder, do we really need them?

colm_mcm

Was in Spain before Christmas and was amazed at how many roads had 2 lanes going in each direction but had no hard shoulders. There were regular lay-bys though.

Seems like a good way to do things, all but eliminates the need to cross over into oncoming traffic to overtake. Of course, there would be be problems with people broken down on the inside lane, but realistically that doesn't happen that often.

Strikes me that we have very wide roads and aren't utilizing enough of the available space

discuss

STForSale

where would we put all the fiat punto's?

fitz73

what about the all the "pto" lad

corktina

colm_mcm wrote: »

Was in Spain before Christmas and was amazed at how many roads had 2 lanes going in each direction but had no hard shoulders. There were regular lay-bys though.

Seems like a good way to do things, all but eliminates the need to cross over into oncoming traffic to overtake. Of course, there would be be problems with people broken down on the inside lane, but realistically that doesn't happen that often.

Strikes me that we have very wide roads and aren't utilizing enough of the available space

discuss

always seemed a waste of tarmac to me when a stretch of gravel or grass would serve the same purpose (ie for breakdiowns etc). Lets have them all made into proper driving lanes....

Mr Benevolent

a stretch of gravel or grass would serve the same purpose (ie for breakdiowns etc).

Maybe for a Cortina. Most cars wouldn't survive slowing from 120kph to 0 on gravel or grass without lots of suspension work and plenty of paint chips/dents. Cue drivers blaming the road authorities in Compoland.

LEIN

STForSale wrote: »

where would we put all the fiat punto's?

Thanks for the laugh.

InTheTrees

They should have 20 foot deep ditches...

Gitb1

InTheTrees wrote: »

They should have 20 foot deep ditches...

With punji sticks wrapped in barbed wire in them

slimjimmc

I regularly see cars abandoned on the hard shoulder, perhaps 2 or 3 every week so it does happen a lot, even on motorways. Sometimes the cars are left there for weeks.

Plus you're likely to have tractors, cyclist, pedestrians and horseriders on the h/s who can't take another route to or from their destination because no alternative route exists (I thinking particularily about the great many houses and farms located along roads).

Junctions will become more hazardous. Anyone fancy shooting across 4 lanes at a crossroads or stopping in lane 2 patiently waiting to make a right turn while watching the mirrors for the clown who's treating lane 2 as a 'fast-lane'? At least DCs have turning lanes which take you off the mainline while waiting to turn.

slimjimmc

Confab wrote: »

Maybe for a Cortina. Most cars wouldn't survive slowing from 120kph to 0 on gravel or grass without lots of suspension work and plenty of paint chips/dents. Cue drivers blaming the road authorities in Compoland.

and heaps of the gravel would get scattered out onto the tarmac. Grass (which with our weather in reality means mud) is usually slippy and so it's easier to lose control, especially after you hit the scrap fridge that some twit dumped there 3mths before.

Jumpy

Cyclists use the hard shoulder. You would get more on the road if they were removed.

karlog

Of course we need hard shoulders where the hell are we supposed to stop if there's an emergency

InTheTrees

karlog wrote: »

Of course we need hard shoulders where the hell are we supposed to stop if there's an emergency

If you didnt think ahead and go before you left you'll just have to hold it in until you get home.

karlog

InTheTrees wrote: »

If you didnt think ahead and go before you left you'll just have to hold it in until you get home.

Saves me the risk of using a bottle behind the wheel

JHMEG

slimjimmc wrote: »

I regularly see cars abandoned on the hard shoulder, perhaps 2 or 3 every week so it does happen a lot, even on motorways. Sometimes the cars are left there for weeks. .

If they've been abandoned they're probably stolen.

Stephen

karlog wrote: »

Of course we need hard shoulders where the hell are we supposed to stop if there's an emergency

What do you do when driving the thousands of kilometres of Irish roads that already do not have hard shoulders?

cc

colm_mcm wrote: »

Was in Spain before Christmas and was amazed at how many roads had 2 lanes going in each direction but had no hard shoulders. There were regular lay-bys though.

Seems like a good way to do things, all but eliminates the need to cross over into oncoming traffic to overtake. Of course, there would be be problems with people broken down on the inside lane, but realistically that doesn't happen that often.

Strikes me that we have very wide roads and aren't utilizing enough of the available space

discuss

I think a hard shoulder is essential on any DC to allow the emergency services to get through quick if there is heavy or stopped traffic, have noticed the lack of them alright driving in parts of Spain, along with really short slip roads also.

karlog

Stephen wrote: »

What do you do when driving the thousands of kilometres of Irish roads that already do not have hard shoulders?

I'd pull into a ditch or if i'm lucky ill break down near a slip road. Ok in fairness we don't need the lane on every road but anyone who thinks there's no need for the hard shoulder at all is fooking stupid.