How wide is a single lane on the highway?
2 Answers
A single lane on the highway is 3.75 meters wide. Below are the specific regulations regarding lane width: 1. Width standard: According to the "Highway Engineering Technical Standards," the lane width for highways designed for speeds of 120 km/h is 3.75 meters, with an emergency stopping strip width of 3.5 meters. Currently, there are no lanes on highways in China designed for speeds exceeding 120 km/h. 2. Toll booth lanes: Each toll booth lane on the highway is 2.5 meters wide, and toll lanes wider than 3.5 meters may be established when necessary.
Back when I drove long-haul trucks on highways, lane width was quite particular, typically around 3.7 meters, which is quite common in national standards. This width is crucial for truck drivers—for instance, when hauling oversized cargo, if lanes narrow below 3.5 meters, it’s easy to cross lines or scrape guardrails. I’ve seen accidents where drivers swerved and caused rear-end collisions. The design accounts for various vehicle sizes, including SUVs and sedans, ensuring enough overtaking space and emergency buffer zones. In rainy or foggy conditions, narrow lanes with poor visibility heighten accident risks, so I often advise new drivers to first familiarize themselves with these dimensions, paying attention to lane markings for safe driving.
