A question regarding motorway lanes...

[felixthecat]

I've just had an extremely confusing conversation with someone because we were calling different motorway lanes the same name. Can urban tell me definitively which is the 'outside lane?

I've always known the one closest to the central barrier/ furthest from the road edge as the outside lane (aka fast lane, overtaking lane, Audi lane). The person I was talking to insists the lane nearest the road edge/furthest from the central barrier is the outside lane (aka slow lane, driving lane, pensioners lane).

Tell me I'm right. If I'm not then that's 38 years of being consistently wrong which must be some sort of a record.

 

[bluescreen]

You're right. (They have a problem.)

 

[Pickman's model]

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

You're right. If you're in the Audi lane and someone undertakes you in the loser-lane they are coming up your inside...

 

[bluescreen]

You're right. If you're in the Audi lane and someone undertakes you in the loser-lane they are coming up your inside...

 

[Pickman's model]

You're right. If you're in the Audi lane and someone undertakes you in the loser-lane they are coming up your inside...

 

[BigTom]

I've just had an extremely confusing conversation with someone because we were calling different motorway lanes the same name. Can urban tell me definitively which is the 'outside lane?

I've always known the one closest to the central barrier/ furthest from the road edge as the outside lane (aka fast lane, overtaking lane, Audi lane). The person I was talking to insists the lane nearest the road edge/furthest from the central barrier is the outside lane (aka slow lane, driving lane, pensioners lane).

Tell me I'm right. If I'm not then that's 38 years of being consistently wrong which must be some sort of a record.

You are right. The definition comes from the perspective of the driver - to the right is outside the car, to the left is inside the car, hence the outside lane being by the central barriers (to the right of the driver, to the outside of the car). The confusion comes because the "outside" lane is on the inside of the motorway, whilst the "inside" lane (to the left of the driver, to the inside of the car) is on the outside of the motorway.

 

[plurker]

You are right. The definition comes from the perspective of the driver - to the right is outside the car, to the left is inside the car

Whilst this is entirely correct, further confusion arises from the terminology nearside /offside when talking about the vehicle itself.
If you're trundling along, like most nobs do, in the central (or middle, of you prefer) lane of three, then nearside of your vehicle will be near the inside lane, whilst the offside will be near the outside.

I think that comes from 'near the kerb' and so if you're driving an LHD, it's possible that the N/S and O/S are reversed?

 

[Corax]

You're right, your friend's an idiot and you should cut them out of every aspect of your life. HTH.