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Having read this entire thread, it still seems that inside and outside lane are the simplest terms.
Which one is the inside lane on a roundabout?
How do you define all the lanes on a 4-lane motorway?
the unique shape compared to other uk signs is so that it’s still legible obscured by snow, silhouetted by low sun etc apparently
That's a really good point and not something I'd thought of.
Driving in the US one time, I came to a STOP sign at a T-junction. America being America it was pitch flat with no buildings around, you could practically see into the next county. I was the only car visible so I just rolled on through and my US friends in the car lost their minds. Apparently at a stop sign you absolutely must come to a complete stop even if it's just for a nanosecond before setting off again.
It's technically the case here too I suppose, but it seems wildly unlikely that anyone would care.
I have always known it as lane 1
How do you define all the lanes on a 4-lane motorway?
Lorries, old folk, default lane choice, Audis and BMWs.
Driving in the US one time, I came to a STOP sign at a T-junction. America being America it was pitch flat with no buildings around, you could practically see into the next county. I was the only car visible so I just rolled on through and my US friends in the car lost their minds. Apparently at a stop sign you absolutely must come to a complete stop even if it's just for a nanosecond before setting off again.
Doing this about 100 m - sorry - 300 feet - from my house was the only time I ever got a traffic ticket in the US.
There's one local to me, but then there's also plenty of other junctions with just as bad (or even worse) visibility that have a regular give way sign. Maybe they should be more common 🤷♂️
There's one local to me, but then there's also plenty of other junctions with just as bad (or even worse) visibility that have a regular give way sign.
Often it's just the result of accidents - a lot of signage is reactive. Every road has bends in it, not every bend has a sign warning that theres a bend, but if there is then the likelihood is the there have been enough accidents at that particular bend to warrant putting a sign up. So perhaps that particular junction has seen more (or more serious) accidents than the others. But with junctions in particular its wiser to make changes to the road in some way, if thats possible, than put a sign up in recognition that is dangerous.
Which one is the inside lane on a roundabout?
How do you define all the lanes on a 4-lane motorway?
id have thought that the inside lane on a roundabout is the left hand lane in the UK. In France it would be the right hand lane.
Which one is the inside lane on a roundabout?
How do you define all the lanes on a 4-lane motorway?
id have thought that the inside lane on a roundabout is the left hand lane in the UK. In France it would be the right hand lane.
Yes.
I've always assumed it was taken from pavements - the inside of a pavement is furthest from the road. So the outside (line or lane) is furthest away (which is also why it switches on a roundabout as the lane closest to the roundabout is nearer so is therefore the inside.
Haven't read the whole thread but will assume that is too simplistic and therefore doesn't need any more thought. 🙂
Often it's just the result of accidents - a lot of signage is reactive. Every road has bends in it, not every bend has a sign warning that theres a bend, but if there is then the likelihood is the there have been enough accidents at that particular bend to warrant putting a sign up. So perhaps that particular junction has seen more (or more serious) accidents than the others. But with junctions in particular its wiser to make changes to the road in some way, if thats possible, than put a sign up in recognition that is dangerous.
Design out danger. I think stop signs aren't always just about visibility at the junction but the run up aswell.
I can think of a couple where high walls either side at a cross road actually quite effectively make the junction look like a straight through. Its only when you get close you start to see the wider picture that you are going to cross a significantly larger road. By the time you get to the junction it feels much more like a give way with actually quite decent sight lines on a straight flat road.
Back to the OP.
Surely its literally just how you sit in the car. Right hand drive.. the outside of the car is on your right. The inside of the car is on your left. So anything beyond that is the inside(side).
Nearside and offside is a much more questionable. The nearside is quite obviously the right hand side... Its nearest. And if the nearside is near to something then the offside should quite obviously be the farside
All of its nonsense though. Its quite obvious what ever logic you apply isn't universal and none of it serves any useful purpose that isn't served by a much simpler concept of left and right that is consistent regardless of where your or the steering wheel are located.
Every road has bends in it, not every bend has a sign warning that theres a bend, but if there is then the likelihood is the there have been enough accidents at that particular bend to warrant putting a sign up.
There is specific guidance for some roads. On others it's based on a more subjective assessment, but signs should always be used sparingly and consistently, so additional signage following a spate of collisions shouldn't be needed too often.
There are also specific distances for a bend(s) to be classed as two singles or a double, etc.
3.1.1. The degree of danger at a bend varies mainly with four factors – the speed of approach, the radius of curvature, the superelevation and the skid resistance of the road surface. No uniform objective test can be applied and traffic authorities must rely on a subjective assessment of these factors when deciding whether or not to use the sign.
3.1.4. On high standard all‑purpose dual carriageway roads, consideration should be given to erecting the signs in advance of bends of radius less than 450 metres
Traffic Signs Manual Chapter 4 https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/
As an ex-driving instructor I'll chip in!Nearside/offside absolutely for anything relative to the car.
For lanes then I always used lane 1,2,3 etc starting from the kerb. roundabouts especially as inside/outside was interpreted differently by every pupil, yet (for example) "approach in lane 2, use lane 2 on the island, take the 3rd exit leaving to lane 1" leaves very little room for misunderstanding.
Rob