Why do we have left shoulders on the highway? (dangerous, design)

[Dopo]

Does anybody know the reasoning behind having left lane shoulders?
On 410 and I-35, 75% of the cars that I see broken down are on the left shoulder.
And the other day I saw a guy with his car on the left shoulder on I-35, had it up on a jack and he was under it fixing something.

[Steel Man]

Maybe because you have a better chance of being hit on the right side of the roadway...just ask the cops.

[Dopo]

Originally Posted by Steel Man

Maybe because you have a better chance of being hit on the right side of the roadway...just ask the cops.

I think it's a little more dangerous to cross the highway from the left shoulder to go to a gas station

[ashbeeigh]

Because people break down on the right and the left side of the road. The right side of the road isn't a mutually exclusive "breakdown zone".


If I'm going to suddenly get a flat, have my battery die, etc. and I'm driving in the left lane of 35/410 I know I'm not going to get all anxious about trying to get over to the right shoulder to stop with all that traffic..I can pull over on the side I'm driving on at the moment. (and knock on wood that this doesn't have to happen I'm driving on it later today...)

Thanks, left shoulder Gods.


That's just my snarky sarcastic opinion. Take it for what its worth.

[rd2007]

I would immediately abandon my vehicle no matter which side of the road it broke down on. There is no way I'd chance it with the number of drunks on the road at all hours of the day in this place.

as far as the original question, I would think it has to be like that since all highways have a shoulder on each side. Don't they?

[budjb]

Quite simply, they're emergency lanes. And interstates are usually required to have a minimum of space on either side of the road.

From Wikipedia:

Shoulder width. Minimum outside paved shoulder width of 10 feet (3.05 m) and inside shoulder width of 4 feet (1.22 m). With three or more lanes in each direction, the inside paved shoulder should be at least 10 feet (3.05 m) wide. If truck traffic is over 250 Directional Design Hour Volume, shoulders at least 12 feet (3.66 m) wide should be considered. In mountainous terrain, 8 feet (2.44 m) outside and 4 feet (1.22 m) inside shoulders are acceptable, except when there are at least four lanes in each direction, in which case the inside shoulders should also be 8 feet (2.44 m) wide.

[SATX56]

Originally Posted by ashbeeigh

Because people break down on the right and the left side of the road. The right side of the road isn't a mutually exclusive "breakdown zone".


If I'm going to suddenly get a flat, have my battery die, etc. and I'm driving in the left lane of 35/410 I know I'm not going to get all anxious about trying to get over to the right shoulder to stop with all that traffic..I can pull over on the side I'm driving on at the moment. (and knock on wood that this doesn't have to happen I'm driving on it later today...)

Precisely!!

[svg210]

maybe they tried to have a similar driving system as Europe

I am too asking similar question dopo. Like why do people yeild to emergency vehicles on divided higways, and on the interstate, while completely ignoring them on two lane roads?

[RGJ]

I always thought the left shoulder was for the radar cops in their big butt Crown Vics

[lsdude]

Primarily for emergency vehicles