When should the 'lanes=*' tag be applied?

[julcnx]

In Thailand, many rural and residential streets lack markings or signs, exhibiting varying widths that can pose challenges for overtaking with one or two vehicles, often requiring a reduction in speed.

Previously, I followed my interpretation of the wiki and added lanes=1 or lanes=2 even in the absence of markings, relying solely on my estimate of the road width.

However, I now recognize that in ambiguous situations, it might be more appropriate to refrain from adding the ‘lanes’ tag, as suggested by the wiki, and instead include an estimated width.

I am uncertain about the criticality of the lanes tag for routers and whether it can be omitted.

For instance, how should the tagging for a road like the one below be approached?

Estimated road width of 4 meters (+ width=4 + source:width=estimated)

• lanes=2 + lane_markings=no
• lane_markings=no
• lanes=1 + lanes_markings=no

Estimated road width of 3 meters (+ width=3 + source:width=estimated)

• lane_markings=no
• lanes=1 + lanes_markings=no

[julcnx]

Appreciation to all who participated in the voting process. The prevailing sentiment indicates a general consensus that the lanes=* tag should be steered clear of in ambiguous scenarios, such as when the road width is less than 5 meters.

I am of the opinion that this guideline should extend to roads with markings too. In Thailand, we encounter numerous instances of roads featuring car lane markings despite having a width of only 4 or even 3 meters!