The Arrive Alive website received this request to clarify a traffic sign that a foreign visitor has come across.
“The picture of the sign was taken on the road between Knysna and Cape Town going up a long hill.
We “assumed” that it meant that there was a minimum speed of 80kph in the inner or centre lane of the passing lane going up an incline.
Is that correct?
What is the inner lane? closest to the centre the two lanes going in opposite directions?”
This was referred to our experts and a response received:
“Yes, that road sign indicates the minimum speed permitted, in km/h.
In the image example it applies only to the lane on which the sign is shown.
Usually that sign is used on a long uphill to force slower moving vehicles (e.g. heavy trucks) to move into the left lane and allow faster vehicles to travel up to the maximum speed limit in the right-hand lane.
The information sign also indicates the direction of traffic flow for all three lanes.
Generally, the terms inside lane or outside lane are used when referring to multi-lane traffic circles (roundabouts). Where the term inside lane is used on a normal road, it would be in reference to the lane closest to the lane used by oncoming traffic (approaching from ahead). And outside lane would be in reference to the lane closest to the outside edge of the roadway, referred to as the left edge.