The elements included in the road margins are: 

Right of way is the summation of the width of carriage way, shoulder and road margins

Road Margins

The portion of the road beyond the carriageway, situated on the roadway, is generally referred to as the road margin. Road margins consist of several key elements, each serving distinct purposes:

1. Shoulder:

   • Shoulders are provided on both sides of the pavement along the road in the case of an undivided highway and are located on the outer edge of the highway in a divided carriageway.

2. Footpath or Sidewalk:

   • To provide a safe walking facility for pedestrians, footpaths or sidewalks are built in urban areas where pedestrian traffic is significant, and vehicular traffic is heavy. This helps segregate pedestrians from moving vehicles, increasing the operating speed of traffic and reducing pedestrian-related accidents.

3. Driveways:

   • Driveways connect the highway with commercial establishments like fuel stations and service stations. These should be well-designed and located away from intersections. The driveway curve should have a large radius, while the driveway width should be minimized to reduce crossing distance for pedestrians.

4. Parking Lanes:

   • Parking lanes are provided on urban roads for kerb parking. Parallel parking is preferred as it is safer for moving vehicles. The minimum width for a parallel parking lane should be 3 meters.