The definition of road shoulder was The Runaway MFFY

Is this CA 16?

Looks like negative superelevation on the lanes coming into the picture.

The curb is typical of California rural roads. The road side of the curb has a gentle slope and the berm side has a steep slope. Easy to get OFF the road. Impossible to get back on. Curb is more for drainage control than keeping a car on the road.

The unpaved "shoulder" (appraoching lane, before the curb) seems to have a drop off of more than 4 inches.

There is something in the road design manuals about the amount of drop off (difference in elevation) and the amount of slope on a "shoulder". Many of California's county roads do not have shoulders because the drop off exceeds the standard.

Virginia? Especially county roads stop at the pavement. Don't expect shoulders. Just the manner in which Virginia buys right of way.

One important aspect of shoulders is the "hangtag" that NHTSA recommends for 15 pbuttenger vans. The hangtag SHOULD call for a 15 pbuttenger van to stop before attempting to regain the road. Instead, the hangtag calls for attempting to steer back on the roadway while still moving. Trying to regain the road will result in overcorrection and driver induced oscillation resulting in a crash, usually a rollover. I imagine the same rollover tendency is true for SUVs.

In California, the white line to the right is considered a "fog" line. Where the shoulder is paved, slower drivers use it as a temporary driving lane to allow faster vehicles to pbutt. Many of the two lane roads would be hopelessly grid locked as there are not enough of the "pull out" shoulder segments to allow pbutting. If you are going below the speed limit and have more than five cars following, you are required to pull over to let the parade go by. Driving on the "shoulder" is common for farm vehicles and slow moving gravel trucks.

Following drivers will appreciate you pulling over, but the CHP might frown on "driving on the shoulder".