The hard shoulder is not a driving lane, someone coming from an entrance may not expect a bus to be flying down the hard shouder as they leave or if the driver sees a late unexpected obstruction in the hardshoulder and is pined in by overtaking cars he may not be able to take corrective action quick enough to avoid an accident.

That driver put peoples lives in danger and should have known a lot better if he is a professional(especially on such a busy strech of road which is lethal at the best of times and should have a 80 kph limit on it considering the amount of exits with poor vision in relation to the amount of traffic using the road)!

Trying to exit the Topaz station in the direction of Slane on that strech of road is taking your life into your hands and that junction with the Dunshaughlin turn off is a regular for nasty bangs!