Difference Between Drive and Lane

Drive vs Lane

Drive and lane are types of passageways and are oftentimes used in place of each other, but there is actually a distinction between the two.

Drive

A drive, also called a driveway, is a small road for allowing the passage of vehicles into areas that are cut-off from the main road. A drive will usually reside on a privately-owned property and in most cases has been set up by the owner himself to provide convenience for his own vehicle’s passage. Most drives are not developed by the government and are not included in public maintenance such as street sweeping and snow blowing.

Lane

A lane is a general term for a road on which vehicles pass through to cover large stretches of distance. Lanes are government owned and serve as the primary roads to be accessed by the public. In large cities, lanes will usually be placed side-by-side to comprise a major highway for greater vehicle rate density. In small towns, their main roads usually consist of only one or two lanes.

Difference between Drive and Lane

The most obvious difference between a drive and a lane is the ownership. A lane resides on government property and is open for public use, while drives may be exclusively used only by the owners of the private lands on which they are placed. Some drives are given specific themes to enhance the look of the property, while lanes are to be given only the necessary markings for assisting traffic and maintaining safe distances between vehicles, especially those that are traveling in opposite directions. Some lanes, especially those that are in wide highways, have a median in between the opposing lanes.

The common meanings given to these two terms may be acceptable in your area, but you should be wary of it in other places because they may use distinct meanings of the drive and the lane.