Motorway Rules: Restrictions and Regulations

The following cannot use the motorway:

Learner car drivers.

Farm tractors.

Cyclists.

Learner motorcyclists.

Horse riders.

The hard shoulder should normally only be used for stopping in an emergency. You can however travel on the hard shoulder when signs direct you to do so.

An Emergency Refuge Area is an area on a motorway for use in cases of emergency or breakdown.

If you breakdown on a motorway and need to call for help it may be better to use one of the emergency roadside phones as this way your location will be accurately known. If you use a mobile phone you can check your location from the marker posts on the left.

Most of the emergency phones are linked to the police, some however are linked to the Highways Agency Control Centre.

Highways Agency Traffic Officers are able to stop and direct anyone on a motorway.

A red cross displayed above a lane means do not travel in the lane.

A number displayed above a lane i.e. 50 means the speed limit for the lane is 50 mph.