Is it allowed to travel in the width indicated by the center of the traffic area?

Explanation

No — you must travel on the right half of the carriageway, not down its middle.

In the picture the carriageway is marked as 7 metres wide and carries no longitudinal markings; the car ahead is travelling exactly down the middle of the road. The rule is: where a road has no markings, the driver himself must determine the number of traffic lanes from the width of the carriageway and the dimensions of the vehicles. A width of 7 metres easily accommodates two lanes of about 3.5 metres, so this is a two-way road with two lanes.

On a two-way road with neither markings nor a dividing strip, the left half of the carriageway's width belongs to oncoming traffic and entering it is prohibited. Travelling down the middle means occupying part of the oncoming traffic's share — exactly what you see in the picture. On a residential street with trees, parked cars and limited visibility, the oncoming driver will not realise until the last moment that his side is half blocked, and the chance to react is lost; a head-on impact is also the deadliest type of collision.

The exam trap is to mistake the absence of markings for freedom of action. The absence of markings does not remove the duty, it merely leaves the judgement to you. Remember the number simply: 7 metres means two lanes, so your share is 3.5 metres on the right.

• An unqualified "yes" treats the absence of markings as permission to occupy the full width of the road; whereas the division of a two-way road into two halves holds independently of markings. • An empty opposing lane is not a legal condition: oncoming traffic can appear suddenly from a bend or a yard exit, and you would have no time to return to the right half.

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