Wide traffic lanes are much less safe than narrow lanes

[Eye of the Tiger]

One of the best episodes of all time. Supreme Flounder, luxury lanes, Newman in flames.

Oh, the humanity

[dazzleman]

Like anything else, whether narrower or wider lanes are better depends on the circumstances.  I think overly wide lanes are counterproductive on local streets, especially in residential areas and around schools.  But where higher speed driving is to be expected, like on a highway, the lanes should be wider and narrow lanes can be dangerous.  In certain situations, the goal should be to slow drivers down, but in others, the goal should be to make it safer for them to drive fast.

I think it is good to have some variation on a highway, for it not to be too straight.  People should be engaged in their driving.  But I recognize that this is a losing battle.  Cars do more and more that drivers should be doing, and drivers are less and less engaged.  I think it's dangerous, and will lead to a self-fulfilling prophesy that self-driving cars are necessary for safety.  I have grave doubts about this, given how many computer malfunctions I deal with on a regular basis.  But our society today is stuck on stupid and there seems to be little we can do to move past that point.

[MexicoCityM3]

Craziness. My first time driving into Paris was in a rental car I was paranoid about, and the one-lane exit from one freeway to the "beltway" had 3 lanes of traffic on it.

Driving in Paris felt similar to driving in Mexico City.