Stupid driving question - lane 3 of three.

[Guest]

As it says on the tin. Accident in lane three of three.

Is that the lane closest to the central reservation?

Brain fog sorry.

[Bobby]

Yes it is. Lane 1 always starts on the left or near side lane. And far right is always the highest number or offside Lane.

[Bobby]

Unless you’re in the states or other countries driving on the right.

[Guest]

Thanks both. Def UK, trying to suss out quickest way home on the M4 on BH weekend. 24 miles of queues.

[Kd0758]

Motorways confuse me. When my husband says inside/outside lane I have to ask if he means the slow lane or fast lane.

[SimonB]

Originally Posted by Kd0758

Motorways confuse me. When my husband says inside/outside lane I have to ask if he means the slow lane or fast lane.

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Sorry to be a pedant but better terminology is normal Lane and overtaking Lane.

[pompeyboy]

This reminded me of when my lad had a crash on the Motorway, he phoned to tell me and said the car's wrecked but we are both out and standing by the outside lane! I panicked but it turned out he was on the hard shoulder.

His theory was the M25 is a circle and therefore the lane nearest the central reservation is the inside lane and they go out from there, which i suppose is logical. He was educated on his return home though.

[Kd0758]

Originally Posted by SimonB

Sorry to be a pedant but better terminology is normal Lane and overtaking Lane.

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Sorry to offend you.

Like I said it’s a conversation between me and my husband so I don’t need to use ‘better terminology’, it’s still a fact that the car in the ‘overtaking lane’ is going faster than the car in the ‘normal’ lane so it’s still accurate 🤨

[SimonB]

Originally Posted by Kd0758

Sorry to offend you.

Like I said it’s a conversation between me and my husband so I don’t need to use ‘better terminology’, it’s still a fact that the car in the ‘overtaking lane’ is going faster than the car in the ‘normal’ lane so it’s still accurate 🤨

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Not offended at all. Of course you are right, hence me using the term “better”. Previous conversations with police and road safety course instructors has thought me that they hate the term “fast lane” and I still use the term myself.

Personally I think lane numbering left to right is the best way as it covers all aspects with motorways commonly having more than 3 lanes.

[Guest]

In my house it's called the fast lane, the slow lane, and the hoggers lane.

Unfortunately the radio folk just don't use those terms when reporting accidents. They insist on using the technical words. No problem, but yesterday I could have argued 3 was the slow lane, or 3 was the second overtaking lane.

The whole inside lane / outside lane thing isn't clear either. I could understand why the lane next to the central reservation could be the inside lane. It's the closest to the middle of the overall roadway.

Either way I got home by going a different way - through a country lane 😉