An online debate that comes up a lot (and fairly often with no conclusive ruling) concerns the use of “in the road” versus “on the road.”

Here’s an example:

I saw a great big chicken in the road—he was actually a rooster.

Some people would question whether “in the road” is correct or whether this should be rewritten as “on the road.”

This is a great question and not one that has a clear-cut answer. As is the case with a lot of prepositions in English, the guidelines with regard to what is right and wrong aren’t always specific. Usage depends a great deal on what is commonly used and this can change over time. And although this is not the sort of issue where there is a strict US versus UK English distinction, practices do vary in some cases.

In the United States we would tend to say these phrases:

We need to get on the road by noon.

There’s an abandoned car in the road.

I live on Fifth Avenue.

In the United Kingdom, many speakers would tend to say

He lives in King’s Road.

Here are two more examples:

I saw a deer in the middle of the road.

There was a deer on the side of the road.

This leads to what I believe to be a somewhat simple way of determining which to use:

• Use “in” with “road” when talking about something specific being within the confines of borders: 

I saw a deer in the road.

• Use “on” with “road” when it is qualified, e.g., 

on the side of the road

or 

• when it is being used in general terms

Let’s get on the road at noon.

There are a lot of new cars on the road.

Regional variations aside, the logic described above should cover most cases that come up.

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