Emergency stopping only
Safety tips for shoulder use
Conclusion
Emergency stopping only
The shoulder of the road is the area that is sometimes, but not always, next to the active lanes of that road on the right and/or left of those lanes. Many roads do have shoulders, but some do not. The shoulder is never to be used for driving or recreational stopping.
The shoulder of a road is for stopping in case you are having car trouble, a health issue or some other emergency that reasonably would suddenly prevent you from driving safely. Needing to return a text or to get out and stretch your legs does not qualify as such an emergency and could result in you getting a ticket if you use the shoulder for reasons like these.
The reason that you can only use the shoulder for emergency stopping is that it needs to be clear for emergency vehicles such as fire trucks, police cars and ambulances to be able to get around heavy amounts of traffic in a hurry. Also, the shoulder would have less space to stop in case of a personal emergency or car trouble if drivers were allowed to stop there for recreational reasons.
Safety tips for shoulder use
Pulling over on the shoulder is typically safe, but there is definitely a risk of danger from the passing traffic. That is why you should take as much caution as possible whenever you need to pull over on the shoulder. You can start by signaling before you pull over that you are going to do so.
When you are pulling over, make sure that you pull over as far as you can in order to put as much space as possible in between you and oncoming traffic. Finally, keep your hazard lights on for the duration of the time that you are pulled over on the shoulder so that other motorists will have the absolute best chance of seeing you just in case they also need to pull onto the shoulder in the same area.
Conclusion
The shoulder in Hawaii and anywhere else in the US in for emergency stopping only. Emergency stopping constitutes an issue with your car affecting its performance and/or safety, a personal health issue that is preventing you from driving or driving safely and being pulled over by the police. You may not use the shoulder for something recreational such as a quick phone call. Always be as safe as possible when you are using the shoulder of the road in Hawaii.
