Driving on the shoulder is one of the most common traffic offenses, along with speeding. Despite intensified control and penalties in recent years, this violation remains prevalent on the country's roads and highways. The CECAITRA Road Observatory, a sector chamber operating in the Greater Buenos Aires area, Buenos Aires city, and several Argentine provinces, sought to understand drivers' opinions and knowledge regarding road shoulders. Through a telephone survey, they were first asked: "How often do you use the shoulder when driving on roads or highways?" Thus, 86.3% said they never use them; 8.1% said "almost never"; 3.6% stated they use them occasionally; and only 2% admitted to doing so "almost always." According to national traffic law, the shoulder is the area of the road adjacent to the paved carriageway, defined as a stopping area in case of force majeure or an escape route in an emergency. Furthermore, traffic regulations in Article 48 prohibit its use as an additional lane of traffic outside of emergency situations. Article 42, in turn, regulates overtaking and states it can only be done on the left, which also makes it impossible for a car to pass another on the shoulder. "The law prohibits parking and stopping on the shoulder, as well as its use as a rest area, or for loading or unloading goods or passengers, in any non-emergency situation. A driver or pedestrian with the necessary information to go out on the street and who complies with the rules will have less chance of being involved in a traffic accident," concluded Facundo Jaime. This means they believe it is a serious offense that occurs frequently. It can also be observed that when inquiring about the reasons they might do it, there is a strong lack of knowledge of the regulation or a decision not to comply with it explicitly. CECAITRA always highlights the importance of road safety education.
