SDA 2020. Roadside is not parking
In summer, you can meet sellers of seasonal fruits or mushrooms along the road. However, sudden braking and pulling over to make a purchase can lead to an accident. The shoulder should not be considered a car park, as it is also used by pedestrians and some vehicles.
On the sides of roads passing through fields or forests, you can often see sellers of berries or mushrooms. Some drivers then hit the brakes to the floor to pull over to the side of the road and take the opportunity to shop. However, in doing so, they endanger the safety of other road users and roadside vendors. In 2019, there were 1026 accidents on the roads, in which 197 people died.
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The risk is primarily associated with sudden braking. There is a possibility that the driver of the vehicle following us will not have time to react and, as a result, will crash into the back of our car. In the worst case, the force of the impact could push the car into a tree or towards the fruit vendors. In addition, by focusing on the point of sale, we may not notice other people on the side of the road and lead to an accident.
By law, a shoulder may be moved by a pedestrian, a sled, bicycle, cart, moped, handcart, or a person operating a motorized vehicle. If such a person is not noticed in time when leaving the roadside, a tragedy can occur, according to the coaches of the Renault Safe Driving School.
Regardless of this, the driver must remember that stopping on the side of the road is only allowed when it is separated from the road by a dotted line. We shouldn't cross a continuous line at all.
Even if it is legally possible to park in a given place, make sure it is safe for us and other road users. Also, don't treat the curb like a parking lot. Stopping there is best limited to emergencies,” emphasizes Krzysztof Pela, an expert at the Renault Driving School.
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