Highway Code: motorways, dual carriageways and smart motorways

Motorways are the fastest roads in Great Britain, so The Highway Code gives them their own set of rules. Rules 253 to 274 explain who may use a motorway, how to join and leave safely, and what the overhead signals mean. Many of these rules also apply to other high-speed roads, including dual carriageways, and council knowledge tests often ask about them.

Who must not use a motorway (Rule 253)

Rule 253 lists the road users who MUST NOT use a motorway:

• pedestrians
• cyclists
• horse riders
• riders of motorcycles under 50 cc (4 kW)
• holders of provisional motorcycle licences
• agricultural vehicles
• powered wheelchairs and powered mobility scooters
• certain slow-moving vehicles, and vehicles carrying oversized loads, unless they have special permission.

A provisional car licence holder MUST NOT drive on a motorway unless a DVSA Approved Driving Instructor (ADI) is supervising. The car must have dual controls and display red L plates (or D plates in Wales).

Key fact: Rule 253 bans motorcycles under 50 cc (4 kW). A provisional car licence holder may only drive on a motorway with an ADI, in a dual-control car showing L plates (or D plates in Wales).

Why motorways feel different (Rule 254)

Traffic on a motorway usually travels faster than on other roads, so you have less time to react. Use your mirrors earlier and look much further ahead than you would on ordinary roads.