Motorway rules

Motorways are among the safest roads per kilometre travelled, but only because they follow strict rules about who can use them and how. They are built for steady, higher speed travel in the same direction, with no junctions, no oncoming traffic and no pedestrians. Understanding what is banned and how to behave is a reliable source of theory test questions, and the penalties for misusing a motorway are taken seriously.

Who and what is prohibited

Several road users are not allowed on a motorway at all. Learner drivers may not drive on them, so if you are still on a learner permit you must wait until you have passed your driving test. Pedestrians, cyclists and animals are prohibited, and so are vehicles that cannot maintain a reasonable speed, which in practice means anything unable to keep up at least 50 km/h. Stopping is not permitted except in a genuine emergency. These rules exist because anything slow, small or stationary is extremely dangerous among fast moving traffic.

Lane discipline

Keep to the left lane unless you are overtaking, and move back in once you have passed. The lanes to the right are for overtaking, not for cruising, and staying in them holds up traffic and tempts others to undertake. Check your mirrors and blind spot, signal, and change lanes smoothly and in good time. Steady lane discipline keeps the whole motorway flowing and is one of the clearest markers of a confident driver.

If you break down

If your vehicle develops a problem, move onto the hard shoulder as far to the left as you can, switch on your hazard warning lights, and get everyone out on the left, away from traffic. Wait behind the barrier rather than in or beside the car, and use a roadside emergency phone or your mobile to call for help. The hard shoulder is for emergencies only, never a place to stop for a rest or a phone call.

Tiredness on long journeys

Motorways are steady and monotonous, and that monotony can make you drowsy without warning, especially on a long drive or late at night. Tiredness slows your reactions in much the same way alcohol does, and no driver can reliably tell the moment they are about to nod off. Plan regular breaks, share the driving where you can, and if you feel your concentration slipping, leave at the next exit or use a service area to rest. Opening a window or turning up the radio is not a real fix.

Joining and leaving safely

Join a motorway using the slip road to build up to the speed of the traffic, then merge into a gap in the left lane without forcing your way in. To leave, watch for the countdown markers, move into the left lane in good time and signal, then slow down on the slip road rather than on the motorway itself. One rule is absolute: never reverse, and never make a U turn, on a motorway. To test the rules of the road that apply here, try our Legal Matters and Rules of the Road practice.