What does the left fourth lane mean?
3 Answers
Left fourth lane refers to the fourth lane on the left. Definition of lane: A lane, also known as a traffic lane or carriageway, is a designated path on a road for vehicles to travel. They are set up on both regular roads and highways, with highway lane usage governed by legal regulations, such as travel lanes and passing lanes. Types of lanes: Lanes are generally divided into two categories: motor vehicle lanes and non-motor vehicle lanes. This separation allows motorized and non-motorized vehicles to travel in dedicated paths. On roads without designated lanes, motor vehicles should travel in the center while non-motor vehicles should use the sides.
After driving for so many years, seeing this sign makes it clear—'left four lanes' refers to the four consecutive lanes counting from the central yellow line to your left. For example, on a six-lane road, a sign saying 'left four lanes go straight' tells you that the middle two lanes plus the left two lanes are for straight-through traffic, while the far-left fast lane and the far-right lane are usually reserved for turning or special vehicles. What often confuses beginners is that 'the first lane' is actually the one closest to the center, nearest to oncoming traffic, so on highways, you must pay extra attention to which specific lanes the signs are referring to.
I emphasized this when teaching my son to drive last time. The road sign saying 'four left lanes' doesn't generally refer to the four leftmost lanes; you must count from the exact center of the road towards the left. This is commonly used to indicate the direction of multiple lanes, like during peak hours on some wide main roads where the left two lanes go straight and the next two turn left. Writing it this way helps prevent drivers from making mistakes. Special attention is needed because the leftmost lane often has the highest speed, and suddenly seeing such a sign without changing lanes in advance can be dangerous.
