When driving on a 2 lane divided highway, the maximum speed could safely double as long as the width of the highway increased 2x. The trouble is that this is not always practically possible due to need for reduced speeds (ex - accident ahead). This is why the number of lanes should not be fixed, by dynamic.

These would be the modes:

-Single wide lane, 200KM/h

-Two lanes, 100KM/h

-Three lanes, 50KM/h

-Four lanes, 30KM/h

Switching between these modes would be controlled by an algorithm that takes safety, weather and current traffic level into consideration.
-- ixnaum, Dec 21 2021

"How do you know she's a witdh?" </ompr>
-- pertinax, Dec 21 2021


Anyway, at 200kph there's only one lane, so you're not allowed to overtake. So there you are, stuck behind someone crawling along at 180kph. Remind me, what's the safe stopping distance at that speed?
-- pertinax, Dec 21 2021


I wonder if something like retro reflective e-ink could be used to make the lane markings. Tiny hollow spheres containing magnetic hemispherical reflector beads. Embedded conductive paint or wires could produce magnetic field to flip them around to switch the lines on or off.
-- pocmloc, Dec 21 2021


// "How do you know she's a witdh?" //

She turned me into a Knute!
-- whatrock, Dec 21 2021


<all eyes turn to behold [whatrock]'s professed knutity>
-- lurch, Dec 21 2021


//"How do you know she's a witdh?"//

Bhrn hr! Theeth a witdh!
-- doctorremulac3, Dec 21 2021


Super. So the only problem left is how to manage the transition points. Does the lane markings suddenly switch from two to three, and all the cars swerve in a panic, or are there set "transition zones" with the new laning propogating forward at the advertised speed?
-- pocmloc, Dec 21 2021



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