Compared to a flat roadside, the safety recovery zone will be wider for which feature?

• A. Fill slopes
• B. Trees
• C. Buildings
• D. Grass

Answer: (A)

The safety recovery zone is the unobstructed space beside the roadway that gives a driver a chance to regain control if the vehicle leaves the traveled way. Its width should increase with hazards that make recovery more difficult. Fill slopes create a steeper, potentially unstable side than a flat roadside, so a vehicle that runs off the edge could collide with or be destabilized by the slope, increasing rollover risk and the need for extra distance to steer back or stop safely. Grass is softer and more forgiving, and a flat surface won’t present the same immediate obstacle as a slope, so it doesn’t demand as much extra width. Trees or buildings are fixed obstacles, but the slope condition itself adds more danger, which is why the recovery zone is wider for fill slopes.