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[Theory test](/theory)/ [Question bank](/theory/questions)/ Motorway Rules 

# How should you deal with traffic already on the motorway when joining from a slip road?

DVSA-style practice question · Motorway Rules

## The answer options

-   Match the speed of cars in the left-hand lane and filter safely into an appropriate gap**Correct** 
-   Stop at the end of the slip road and wait for a gap 
-   Accelerate past the traffic on the motorway 
-   Carry on the hard shoulder until there is a gap 

## Why that is the answer

When joining a motorway from a slip road, match your speed to the traffic in the left-hand lane so you can filter smoothly into a safe gap. Traffic already on the motorway has priority, so adjust your position without forcing others to brake or change lanes. Stopping at the end of the slip road or driving along the hard shoulder is extremely dangerous, as trailing vehicles will not expect you to stop.

## How this comes up in the real test

Questions from motorway rules appear throughout the 50-question multiple-choice section, and the wording changes between versions. Learn the rule rather than the sentence: the DVSA can ask the same point from the opposite direction, and a memorised answer falls over the moment the phrasing moves.

The pass mark is 43 out of 50, so seven wrong answers is your entire margin. If a whole category is shaky, run the topic practice below until you are getting every question right for the right reason, then go back to full mocks under the clock.

[Practise Motorway Rules](/theory/quiz/motorway-rules)[Sit a full mock test](/theory/mock-test)

## More motorway rules questions

-   [Before making a journey on the motorway it is important to check your vehicle fully. Why is this?](/theory/questions/before-making-a-journey-on-the-motorway-it-is-important-to-check-your-vehicle-fully-why-is)
-   [Following a breakdown on the hard shoulder, how should you rejoin the motorway?](/theory/questions/following-a-breakdown-on-the-hard-shoulder-how-should-you-rejoin-the-motorway)
-   [How do smart motorways avoid traffic clustering?](/theory/questions/how-do-smart-motorways-avoid-traffic-clustering)
-   [In England and Wales, traffic officers work on motorways as well as some secondary routes. What powers do they have?](/theory/questions/in-england-and-wales-traffic-officers-work-on-motorways-as-well-as-some-secondary-routes-w)
-   [On a motorway, how are the lanes to be used?](/theory/questions/on-a-motorway-how-are-the-lanes-to-be-used)
-   [On a three lane motorway, there are red reflective studs on your left and white ones on your right. Which lane are you in?](/theory/questions/on-a-three-lane-motorway-there-are-red-reflective-studs-on-your-left-and-white-ones-on-you)

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