15 cards · UK Driving Theory · answer each one, then read the explanation. Your score tallies below. Looking for Motorway lane rules by vehicle type? Read the explainer.
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UK Driving Theory · Motorway Rules · Card 001/015easy
You hold a provisional car driving licence and want to practise on a motorway before your driving test. According to the Highway Code, are you allowed to do this, and if so, under what conditions?
ANo, provisional car licence holders must never drive on a motorway under any circumstances until they pass their test
BYes, but only during off-peak hours (before 7am or after 10pm) and only in the left-hand lane
CYes, but only when accompanied by a DVSA approved driving instructor, in a car fitted with dual controls and displaying L plates
DYes, provided a fully qualified driver who passed their own test at least three years ago sits in the passenger seat
Correct answer: .
Rule 253 makes motorways off-limits to provisional car licence holders unless they are accompanied by a DVSA approved driving instructor, in a car fitted with dual controls and displaying red L plates (D plates in Wales). Saying provisional drivers can never use a motorway under any circumstances is wrong because the rule sets out exactly this limited, supervised exception rather than a total ban. Inventing an off-peak time window and a left-hand-lane-only restriction is wrong because the Code ties motorway access to who is supervising and how the car is equipped, not to the time of day or a permanently fixed lane. Allowing any experienced qualified driver who passed their test years ago to supervise from the passenger seat is wrong because the rule specifically requires a DVSA approved instructor and dual controls, not merely an experienced driver sitting alongside with no ability to intervene on the pedals.
Source: The Highway Code, Rule 253 (GOV.UK)
UK Driving Theory · Motorway Rules · Card 002/015easy
A rider wants to take a 50cc moped onto a motorway to save time on a short trip. According to the Highway Code, is this allowed?
ANo, motorcycles under 50cc (4kW) must not be used on a motorway, regardless of how short the journey is
BYes, as long as the rider keeps to the hard shoulder rather than the main carriageway
CYes, but only in fine weather with good visibility, since the restriction is a safety guideline rather than a legal rule
DNo, but only riders under 17 years old are affected by this restriction — an older rider on the same moped may use the motorway
Correct answer: .
Rule 253 states that motorways must not be used by riders of motorcycles under 50cc (4kW), and this is an absolute engine-size restriction with no exception for a short trip. Suggesting the rider could use the hard shoulder instead is wrong on two counts: it does not get around the 50cc restriction, and separately the hard shoulder itself must not be used except in a genuine emergency or when directed by the police, so this option compounds one prohibited act with another. Framing the restriction as merely a safety guideline that only applies in poor weather is wrong because the Code states this as a legal must-not with no weather-based exception at all. Tying the restriction to the rider's age rather than the machine's engine size is wrong because the rule is about the motorcycle's capacity, not how old the person riding it is.
Source: The Highway Code, Rule 253 (GOV.UK)
UK Driving Theory · Motorway Rules · Card 003/015easy
You are joining a motorway from a slip road and notice a gap in the traffic on the main carriageway. According to the Highway Code, what should you do?
ASlow right down at the end of the slip road and wait there for a gap to appear, since traffic already on the motorway must give way to joining vehicles
BAccelerate to the motorway's national speed limit before you reach the end of the slip road, then check for traffic once you are already on the carriageway
CFlash your headlights at drivers on the motorway so they move over and create space for you to join
DUse the slip road to adjust your speed to match the traffic already on the motorway, giving priority to that traffic as you merge into a suitable gap
Correct answer: .
Rule 259 explains that when joining a motorway you should give priority to traffic already on it, using the slip road to adjust your speed so you can merge into a suitable gap safely. Stopping at the end of the slip road to wait reverses this priority: traffic already on the motorway does not have to give way to you, and stopping there creates a serious hazard for vehicles arriving behind you at speed. Accelerating to the full speed limit before checking the traffic risks reaching that speed before you have actually judged whether a gap exists, which is the wrong order of operations even though matching speed itself is correct. Flashing your headlights to pressure drivers into moving over is wrong because headlight flashes are only meant to let another road user know you are there, not to demand priority you have not been given.
Source: The Highway Code, Rule 259 (GOV.UK)
UK Driving Theory · Motorway Rules · Card 004/015easy
You are driving on a three-lane motorway. Traffic is light and there is nothing ahead of you to overtake. According to the Highway Code, which lane should you normally be driving in?
AWhichever lane keeps you furthest from slip roads joining the motorway, regardless of the traffic around you
BThe left-hand lane, moving out only when you need to overtake and returning to it once it is safe to do so
CThe middle lane, since it gives you the most space on both sides in case of a hazard
DThe right-hand lane, so that you do not need to keep changing lanes as other traffic joins and leaves
Correct answer: .
Rule 264 says to keep in the left-hand lane unless you are overtaking, moving out to pass and returning left again once it is safe. Choosing a lane based on distance from slip roads is wrong because the rule's test for which lane to use is whether you are overtaking, not proximity to junctions. Sitting in the middle lane by default is wrong because unnecessarily occupying it forces other drivers who do want to overtake to move further right than they should need to, which is precisely the pattern the rule is written to prevent. Staying in the right-hand lane to avoid lane changes is wrong both because that lane is meant for overtaking, not cruising, and because on a motorway with three or more lanes it also carries restrictions for certain heavier vehicles and trailers under a separate rule, so treating it as a normal travelling lane is a mistake for any driver.
Source: The Highway Code, Rule 264 (GOV.UK)
UK Driving Theory · Motorway Rules · Card 005/015hard
You are driving a car that is towing a small trailer on a motorway with four lanes in your direction. According to the Highway Code, which lane must you not use?
AThe right-hand (fourth) lane — a vehicle towing a trailer must not use the right-hand lane on a motorway with three or more lanes
BBoth the two right-hand lanes — trailers are restricted to only the two lanes nearest the hard shoulder
CNone of the lanes — the right-hand lane restriction only applies to vehicles over 7.5 tonnes, not to a car towing a small trailer
DThe left-hand lane only, because slower vehicles must stay out of the lane nearest the hard shoulder
Correct answer: .
Rule 265 lists any vehicle drawing a trailer among the vehicles that must not use the right-hand lane of a motorway with three or more lanes, alongside goods and passenger vehicles over specific weight thresholds; the trailer restriction applies regardless of how small the trailer is or how light the towing car is. Claiming both right-hand lanes are off-limits overstates the rule, which restricts only the single outermost lane, not the lane next to it. Claiming the restriction only applies to vehicles over 7.5 tonnes is wrong because the rule separately and explicitly names any trailer-towing vehicle as restricted, independent of weight. Claiming it is the left-hand lane that must be avoided reverses the rule entirely: the left-hand lane is the normal, preferred lane for a car towing a trailer, not the one it is barred from.
Source: The Highway Code, Rule 265 (GOV.UK)
UK Driving Theory · Motorway Rules · Card 006/015medium
You are driving in the middle lane of a three-lane motorway and want to pass a lorry ahead of you that is also in the middle lane, travelling slower than you. Traffic is otherwise free-flowing, not congested. According to the Highway Code, what should you do?
AMove into the left-hand lane instead and pass the lorry on its left, since that lane is clearer
BFlash your headlights at the lorry so it moves into the left-hand lane and lets you pass on the inside
CCheck your mirrors and blind spot, then move to the right-hand lane to overtake, signalling in good time before you do
DStay in the middle lane and gradually edge past by drifting toward the left side of your own lane as you go
Correct answer: .
Rule 267 says to overtake only on the right, after checking your mirrors and blind spot and signalling in good time. Rule 268 says not to overtake on the left, and its exception for slow-moving queued traffic does not apply here because the traffic is described as free-flowing rather than congested. Moving left to pass the lorry is exactly the undertaking the rule prohibits outside that queued-traffic exception. Flashing your headlights to pressure the lorry into changing lanes is wrong because headlight flashes are only meant to let another road user know you are there, not to instruct them to move. Drifting toward the left of your own lane while staying in the middle lane is wrong because it is not a proper, signalled lane change to the right and blurs the clear lane discipline the rule requires for a safe overtake.
Source: The Highway Code, Rules 267-268 (GOV.UK)
UK Driving Theory · Motorway Rules · Card 007/015medium
You are driving on a smart motorway section where the hard shoulder has been permanently converted into a running lane. According to the Highway Code, when are you allowed to drive in that lane?
AOnly during rush hour, when every hard shoulder lane on every smart motorway automatically opens to traffic
BOnly if you are overtaking, in the same way as the right-hand lane
CNever — a converted hard shoulder can only be used by vehicles that have broken down and are waiting for recovery
DAt any time it is shown as open by a speed limit displayed above it on the gantry — if no speed limit is shown above it, you must not drive in it
Correct answer: .
Rule 269 states that you must not use a hard shoulder except in an emergency or when directed to do so, but you can use it as an extra lane when a speed limit is shown on a sign above it, which is how a permanently converted running lane indicates it is open. Claiming it opens automatically at rush hour is wrong because the trigger the Code describes is the displayed speed-limit sign, not a fixed time of day, and this arrangement is not universal to every smart motorway. Restricting its use to overtaking only is wrong because once opened it functions as an ordinary running lane like any other, not a lane reserved for overtaking manoeuvres. Saying it can never be used except by a broken-down vehicle describes an unconverted hard shoulder's default emergency-only status, not the all-lane-running lane described in this scenario.
Source: The Highway Code, Rule 269 (GOV.UK)
UK Driving Theory · Motorway Rules · Card 008/015hard
You accidentally drive past the exit you wanted on a motorway. According to the Highway Code, what must you not do to correct your mistake?
AContinue to the next exit and rejoin the motorway travelling in the other direction if you need to get back
BReverse back along the hard shoulder or slip road, make a U-turn, or drive against the flow of traffic to reach the exit
CRadio for a police or traffic officer escort back to the missed exit before attempting anything else
DPull into the next service area to check a map or satnav before deciding how to proceed
Correct answer: .
Rule 263 states that you must not reverse on any part of a motorway, including the hard shoulder and a slip road, cross the central reservation, or drive against the flow of traffic, unless directed to do so by the police or a traffic officer. Continuing to the next exit and rejoining in the other direction is wrong to flag as prohibited because that is precisely the lawful way the Code expects you to recover from a missed exit. Insisting on a police or traffic officer escort before doing anything else is wrong because no such summons is required; simply proceeding to the next exit is the normal, permitted response with no need to wait for assistance. Pulling into a service area to check a map is wrong to flag as prohibited because that is a safe, lawful pause, not one of the reversing, U-turn, or wrong-way actions the rule specifically bans.
Source: The Highway Code, Rule 263 (GOV.UK)
UK Driving Theory · Motorway Rules · Card 009/015easy
Your passenger asks to be dropped off right away while you are on the motorway carriageway, with no breakdown or emergency reason to stop. According to the Highway Code, what must you do?
AKeep driving to the next exit or service area — you must not stop on the carriageway, hard shoulder, or verge, or set anyone down, except in a genuine emergency
BPull onto the verge just long enough to let them out, since a very brief stop is treated differently from a full breakdown stop
CUse the hard shoulder, since setting down a passenger counts as a permitted reason to stop there
DSlow to a stop in your current lane with your hazard lights on, since the hazard lights make it safe to pause briefly
Correct answer: .
Rule 271 says you must not stop on the carriageway, hard shoulder, slip road, central reservation or verge except in a genuine emergency, and Rule 272 says you must not pick up or set down anyone on a motorway except in an emergency, so the only correct response is to continue to the next exit or service area. Treating a brief stop on the verge as acceptable is wrong because the prohibition is not based on how long you stay; even a short stop to let someone out is still a stop for a non-emergency reason. Treating the hard shoulder as available for this purpose is wrong because setting down a passenger is not one of the genuine emergencies the hard shoulder is reserved for. Relying on hazard lights to make a stop in a live lane acceptable is wrong because hazard lights only warn other traffic of danger; they do not turn an otherwise prohibited stop into a lawful or safe one.
Source: The Highway Code, Rules 271-272 (GOV.UK)
UK Driving Theory · Motorway Rules · Card 010/015hard
You have been driving for an hour at a steady 70mph on the motorway and are now approaching your exit slip road, which ends at a sharp bend. According to the Highway Code, why does it specifically advise checking your speedometer at this point?
ABecause motorway speedometers and slip-road speedometers are calibrated differently, so the same needle position shows a different actual speed
BBecause fatigue after an hour of driving typically causes drivers to misjudge distances rather than speed, and the speedometer corrects for that
CBecause after sustained high-speed driving, your sense of speed adjusts, so a much slower speed, such as 50mph, can feel like driving at only 30mph
DBecause slip roads have no speed limit at all, so the speedometer is the only way to know your actual speed
Correct answer: .
The Highway Code's advice on leaving a motorway explains that after a period of sustained high-speed driving, your sense of speed adjusts to it, so that a genuinely slower speed, such as 50mph, can feel like only 30mph; this is why it recommends checking your speedometer and reducing speed appropriately as you leave. There is no such thing as two differently calibrated speedometers reading the same needle position differently; a car has one speedometer showing actual speed regardless of the type of road it is on. The effect being described is specifically about misjudging speed, not distance, so attributing it to fatigue-driven distance errors names the wrong perceptual mistake entirely. Slip roads are not free of speed limits; the concern here is that your perception of a given speed is distorted, not that the number itself is unknown or unregulated.
Source: The Highway Code, Rule 274 (GOV.UK)
UK Driving Theory · Motorway Rules · Card 011/015easy
A cyclist wants to use a short, mile-long stretch of motorway to avoid a long detour on back roads, since there is no other direct route between the two points. According to the Highway Code, is this allowed?
AYes, if the cyclist keeps strictly to the hard shoulder and avoids the main carriageway entirely
BNo, cyclists must not use a motorway under any circumstances, regardless of how direct or convenient the route would be
CYes, but only during daylight hours and only on motorways that have a hard shoulder present
DNo, but only if the cyclist is under 16 years old — an adult cyclist may use a motorway for a short local journey
Correct answer: .
Rule 253 lists cyclists, together with pedestrians, horse riders, holders of provisional motorcycle licences, riders of motorcycles under 50cc (4kW), certain slow-moving vehicles, vehicles carrying oversized loads without special permission, agricultural vehicles, and powered wheelchairs or mobility scooters, among the road users who must not use a motorway at all, and this exclusion holds regardless of how much shorter or more convenient the motorway route would be. The option allowing cyclists onto the hard shoulder is wrong twice over: cyclists are banned from the motorway as a whole, not just the main carriageway, and separately the hard shoulder itself may only be used in a genuine emergency or when directed, never as a general-purpose cycling lane. The option permitting motorway cycling in daylight on motorways with a hard shoulder invents conditions, time-of-day and hard-shoulder presence, that the rule never mentions; the ban has no such exceptions. The option tying the restriction to the cyclist's age is wrong because Rule 253's cyclist exclusion applies to riders of any age; age-based carve-outs apply to other categories, such as provisional motorcycle licence holders, not to cyclists generally.
Source: The Highway Code, Rule 253 (GOV.UK)
UK Driving Theory · Motorway Rules · Card 012/015medium
Approaching a gantry on the motorway, you see flashing red lights together with a red X displayed above every single lane, including the one you are in. According to the Highway Code, what must you do?
AChoose any lane you like and continue past the gantry at a reduced speed, since a red X only warns of loose debris rather than banning entry
BPull onto the hard shoulder and use it to bypass the gantry, since the hard shoulder is not one of the lanes the red X applies to
CSlow down and treat the signal as advisory only, staying in your current lane if no hazard is visible yet ahead of you
DStop before the sign — when every lane shows a red X with flashing red lights the road ahead is closed, and you must not go past the sign or use the hard shoulder to get around the closure unless directed by the police or a traffic officer
Correct answer: .
Rule 258 explains that red flashing light signals with a red X identify a closed lane containing people, stopped vehicles, or other hazards, and that drivers must follow the signs in advance to move to an open lane and must never drive in the closed one; where every lane is closed this way, the road itself is closed, and drivers must not go beyond the sign or use the hard shoulder to get around the closure unless a police or traffic officer directs them to do so. Treating the red X as only a debris warning is wrong because it is a mandatory closure instruction, not an advisory hazard note, and choosing any lane and continuing ignores that every lane, not just one, is shown as closed. Using the hard shoulder as a way round the closure is wrong because the rule explicitly rules out exactly that workaround. Treating the signal as merely advisory and continuing in the current lane is wrong because a red X with flashing red lights is a legally binding must-not, not a suggestion that depends on whether a hazard is yet visible.
Source: The Highway Code, Rule 258 (GOV.UK)
UK Driving Theory · Motorway Rules · Card 013/015easy
A sign tells you that your motorway exit is one mile ahead, and no lane at this junction leads directly off the motorway. According to the Highway Code, what should you do?
AMove into the left-hand lane well before the exit, signal left in good time, and reduce your speed on the slip road itself rather than on the main carriageway
BBegin braking in your current lane as soon as you see the sign, then change into the left-hand lane just before the slip road actually begins
CWait until you are already on the slip road before deciding which lane to use, since the exit sign is only an early warning and no action is needed yet
DSignal left only once you are already on the slip road, since signalling any earlier could mislead drivers behind you about which lane you intend to use
Correct answer: .
Rule 273 says that, unless signs show a lane leading directly off the motorway, you will normally leave by a slip road on your left: watch for signs telling you the exit is approaching, move into the left-hand lane well before the exit, signal left in good time, and reduce speed on the slip road itself as necessary, rather than slowing on the main carriageway. Braking in the current lane as soon as the sign appears, then only changing lanes right before the slip road, reverses this order and risks a late, abrupt lane change in fast-moving traffic instead of positioning early and slowing once safely on the slip road. Waiting until already on the slip road to choose a lane is wrong because lane positioning is meant to happen on the motorway itself, well before the exit, not after joining the slip road. Delaying the signal until already on the slip road is also wrong, since signalling left in good time, while still on the motorway, is exactly what lets following drivers anticipate the manoeuvre rather than being surprised by it.
Source: The Highway Code, Rule 273 (GOV.UK)
UK Driving Theory · Motorway Rules · Card 014/015hard
Your car suddenly loses power in the middle lane of a busy three-lane motorway. You cannot get it to move to the left lane, the hard shoulder, or any emergency area, and it is not safe to get out. According to the Highway Code, what should you do?
AGet out immediately through the door nearest the hard shoulder and climb over the barrier, since staying inside a stationary vehicle in a live lane is more dangerous than being on foot beyond it
BStay inside the vehicle with your seatbelt and hazard warning lights on, and call 999 for the police, or use your vehicle's SOS button if it has one
CAttempt to restart the engine repeatedly while a passenger places a warning triangle a safe distance behind the vehicle to alert approaching traffic
DSwitch off your hazard lights so other drivers do not mistake your car for a planned stop, then wait for a gap in traffic before attempting to push it clear yourself
Correct answer: .
Rule 277 explains that if you cannot reach the left-hand lane, the hard shoulder, or an emergency area, and it is not safe to get out of your vehicle, you should stay inside it with your seatbelt and hazard warning lights on and call 999 for the police immediately, or use the vehicle's SOS button if it has one; the rule explicitly says you should not return to, or leave, the vehicle in this situation even though staying put feels exposed. Getting out and climbing over the barrier is wrong because the rule specifically advises against leaving the vehicle when it is not safe to do so, since stepping into a live lane on foot is more dangerous than remaining belted inside a stationary car. Attempting repeated restarts while a passenger places a warning triangle behind the vehicle is wrong because the rule tells drivers not to attempt repairs and not to place a warning triangle on the carriageway, since doing so means walking into live traffic lanes. Switching off the hazard lights and trying to push the car clear yourself is wrong because hazard lights must stay on to warn approaching traffic, and pushing a vehicle in a live lane creates exactly the kind of exposure to moving traffic the rule is written to prevent.
Source: The Highway Code, Rule 277 (GOV.UK)
UK Driving Theory · Motorway Rules · Card 015/015medium
You stopped on the hard shoulder after a brief mechanical problem, which you have now fixed, and you are ready to drive on. According to the Highway Code, how should you rejoin the carriageway?
APull out as soon as there is a gap roughly level with your current position, since traffic on the hard shoulder always has priority when rejoining
BSignal and move back onto the carriageway at a low, cautious speed, relying on traffic already on the motorway to slow down and let you in
CWait for a completely unbroken gap with no vehicles visible in the nearest lane for as far as you can see before moving, regardless of your own speed
DBuild up your speed along the hard shoulder, signal, and watch for a safe gap in the traffic, while also watching for any vehicles, obstructions, or debris that may be on the hard shoulder itself
Correct answer: .
Rule 278 says that to rejoin the carriageway from the hard shoulder you should build up your speed, indicate, and watch for a safe gap in the traffic, and also be aware that vehicles, obstructions, or debris may be present on the hard shoulder itself as you move off. Pulling out as soon as a roughly level gap appears, on the assumption that hard shoulder traffic has priority, is wrong because the rule gives no such priority; traffic already on the carriageway is not required to give way, so merging depends on building up speed and fitting into a gap safely, not on an assumed right of way. Rejoining at a low, cautious speed and relying on motorway traffic to slow down is wrong because merging well below the carriageway's flow speed is exactly the mismatch the build-up-speed instruction exists to avoid, and other drivers are not obliged to adjust for a slow-merging vehicle. Waiting for a completely unbroken, as-far-as-the-eye-can-see gap regardless of your own speed is overly cautious in a way the rule does not require; once speed is built up, a safe, well-judged gap is sufficient, and waiting indefinitely for an empty lane is not the standard the rule sets.
Source: The Highway Code, Rule 278 (GOV.UK)
About Motorway Rules
Since a 2018 change to Rule 253, learner car drivers can legally take motorway lessons in England, Scotland, and Wales — but only with an approved driving instructor in a dual-control car, never alone and never as part of the test itself; learner motorcyclists are still banned outright. Once on the motorway, the national speed limit for cars is 70mph, and lane choice follows its own logic: keep to the left lane unless overtaking, and on a motorway with three or more lanes certain vehicles — cars towing trailers, and larger goods or passenger vehicles — must not use the furthest-right lane at all, even to overtake. The motorway lane rules guide breaks this down vehicle type by vehicle type.
Smart motorway signals are absolute, not advisory: Rule 258 says a red X displayed above a lane means that lane is closed — you must never enter it, even if it looks empty — and the lane only reopens once the gantry shows a speed limit or the word "END." Rule 269 treats the hard shoulder the same way in reverse: you must not drive on it except in a genuine emergency or breakdown, unless a sign or officer actively directs you to use it as a running lane. Rule 268 adds that you must never overtake on the left or move into a lane on your left specifically to get past slower traffic.