shoulder

The shoulder of Saskatchewan Highway 11 in this picture (shown to the right of the solid white line) is wide enough to accommodate a stopped car without impeding the flow of traffic in the travel lanes

A shoulder (American English), hard shoulder (British English) or breakdown lane (Australian English) is an emergency stopping lane by the verge on the outer side of a road or motorway. Many wider freeways, or expressways elsewhere have shoulders on both sides of each directional carriageway—in the median, as well as at the outer edges of the road, for additional safety. Shoulders are not intended for use by through traffic, although there are exceptions.