It sounds like you're suggesting there could be gaps in the middle of the lane, so only the area the tyre uses is paved, but that's surely missing the bigger pi

It sounds like you're suggesting there could be gaps in the middle of the lane, so only the area the tyre uses is paved, but that's surely missing the bigger picture: 80' is 7 or 8 lanes for highway traffic! Why is the road so wide?