When is a driver required to drive on the “hard shoulder” - where the “shoulder” is asphalt-paved and free of traffic - in order to allow another vehicle to overtake him?
- When the vehicle drives very slowely for any reason.
- Only when the vehicle is forced to drive slowly on a steep uphill climb, and disturbs the free traffic.
- Correct answer: When a driver of a motor vehicle is forced to drive very slowly due to the freight he’s carrying or to the steepness of the road, and he delays the traffic behind him.
- Never. It is prohibited to drive on the “hard shoulders”; hence, a vehicle that delays the traffic behind it should pull into the “hard shoulder” and stop, to allow the traffic congestion behind him to open up.
Why this is the answer
The correct answer in the official bank: When a driver of a motor vehicle is forced to drive very slowly due to the freight he’s carrying or to the steepness of the road, and he delays the traffic behind him.
The duty to move onto the hard shoulder applies to a motor vehicle driver forced to drive slowly because of the load or the steepness of the road, who is delaying traffic behind. When the shoulder is paved and clear, using it lets others overtake safely without stopping traffic flow. Driving slowly for just any reason does not justify using the shoulder, and a full stop is not required.