Ask Phoebe: Inside or outside? Good point

Photo / Martin Sykes

The other night I was out with a friend and giving her driving directions. I told her to get into the inside lane - and she went into what I call the outside lane.

My interpretation is that the inside lane is the one nearest the kerb, and the outside lane is the one nearest the middle of the road. My friend thinks the reverse applies. I can't find any reference in the Road Code to inside and outside lanes, so, please, which is it? Jan McIlroy, North Shore City.

There was a robust discussion in the office when I brought this question up, and opinions were evenly divided. My view is that, in countries where you drive on the left, as we do, the inside lane is the one nearest the kerb or the shoulder, and the outside lane is the one nearest the middle of the road or the median barrier, whichever applies.

My reasoning is that we refer to "passing on the inside" when we overtake on the left, and so the left-hand lane must be the inside lane.

One way to avoid arguments is to refer to them as left, middle and right lanes. The argument might resume where there are more than three lanes, but the second-from-left, for example, should solve this.

In the past, at roundabouts, you just had to give way to your right. Now you must indicate left or right as well. If you indicate a right turn, must you put on your left indicator when leaving the roundabout? If you keep indicating right, can you carry on and go right round the roundabout? Stephen Liang, Herne Bay.

The system, which has been in place since 2005, is this. Drivers should indicate left when they enter the roundabout if they intend to take an exit less than halfway round the roundabout.

Vehicles planning to take an exit more than halfway round should signal right entering the roundabout, then signal left as they pass the exit before the one they intend taking. If you keep indicating right, it will be assumed that you mean to keep on round the roundabout.

I was at the intersection of Great North Rd and Williamson Ave in Grey Lynn and wanted to turn left into Tuarangi Rd. Someone turning right thought I should give way and they turned first. Do I need to give way to my right at traffic lights? I thought it was only at give-way and stop signs. Helen Peterson, Auckland.

Oh dear. Yes, of course you do. The Road Code says very clearly that at traffic signals, if you have a green light and you're turning left, you must give way to vehicles coming towards you that are turning right. The Road Code is available at all good bookstores.

I sometimes travel down Union St and then on to Wellington St to get to the Harbour Bridge onramp, which has the free right-hand turn from that direction. I have noticed people travelling from the western end of Wellington St and turning left to use the same onramp are governed by a give-way sign. Over the years fewer and fewer people give way to right-turning traffic, but surely I am in the right? Kisor Patel, Albany.

You are indeed. At an intersection controlled by a give-way sign, you must give way to all traffic, except that at a stop sign. In this situation, the left-turners at the give-way sign must wait for the right-turners.

At the T-intersection where Pollen St meets Great North Rd in Newton, there is a car yard directly opposite the intersection. Cars frequently come out of the yard and across Great North Rd to go down Pollen St. If I am on Pollen, waiting to turn right on to Great North, do I have to give way to these vehicles? Sarah Crowe, Grey Lynn.

So nice to have a theme. An intersection is defined as where two or more streets or roads cross or join, or where a public entrance or exit joins a street.

These include entrances and exits to supermarkets, petrol stations and other public parking areas. It does not include private driveways. The car-yard vehicles must give way.