S3
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| Driver's eye view down a suicide lane in Lancashire. | |
 | Pictures related to S3 View gallery (28) |
S3 refers to an old design standard of a single carriageway road with three lanes. The middle lane (sometimes called the suicide lane, or less commonly chicken lane, due to the hazards posed by an uncontrolled overtaking lane) is shared between both directions. Such layouts were once common, as an easy way of allowing faster traffic to overtake without needing to build dual carriageways. However, this was in the era when lorries had less power and often struggled on the slightest incline, as indeed did small family cars heavily laden for a holiday.
The roads that survive are generally lined whereby the additional lane is 'lost' at either end, rather than gained. In other words, if an S3 road heading north reduces to S2, then the southbound lane is marked continuously, whilst the two northbound lanes lose their separating lines and so become a single lane, reducing in width. These markings are aided by arrows, directing traffic out of the centre lane. There is normally also a Road Narrows sign just in advance of or at the point where the third lane ceases.
In recent years, S3 roads have mostly been phased out in favour of S2+1 roads, which always demarcate a clear priority to one direction of travel, or WS2 roads. In the latter case, the road is lined purely as a two lane road, with the intention that traffic can overtake by straddling the centre line. However, in practice many drivers fail to keep to the left of their lane, limiting the space in the middle of the road, and so not leaving enough room for others to confidently overtake.
In Ireland, the 1998 Road Needs Study remarked that S3 was "banned or discouraged" in most countries. It said Denmark and Austria had reported that its capacity was no better than WS2.
Locations
Below is a list of some of the locations where traditional Suicide Lane S3 roads survive. These roads are lined as 3 lanes, without solid white lines or turning lanes.
| Road | Location | Length | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| A6 | Wickersgill | 0.2 miles | Full S3 Climbing lane |
| A6 | North of Carnforth | 0.1 miles | Possibly removed |
| A39 | west of Minehead | 0.3 miles | |
| A30 | Honiton, just east of bypass | 0.2 miles | Removed July 2020 |
| A40 | Dowdeswell, east of Cheltenham | 0.2 miles | Possibly removed |
| B3084 (former A303) | Cholderton - Thruxton | 0.1 miles | Between two sections of S2+1 |
| A | miles |
| S3 | ||
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