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Motorway Rules — free theory test practice
Motorway questions assume you have never driven one, which is exactly the position most learners are in. They cover joining safely from a slip road, which lanes you may use, and what the red X and variable limits on a gantry mean.
Smart motorway content has grown: emergency areas, all-lane running, and what to do if you break down where there is no hard shoulder.
Once you're passing this topic comfortably, try a full mock test under real timed conditions, brush up on UK road signs, or browse the full question bank. Ready to drive? See our intensive driving courses.
Motorway Rules
Question 1 of 52
Before making a journey on the motorway it is important to check your vehicle fully. Why is this?
What the DVSA tests on motorway rules
- Joining and leaving via slip roads and matching traffic speed
- Lane discipline and who may not use the right-hand lane
- Red X signals, variable limits and emergency refuge areas
- Breakdowns, hard shoulder use and where to wait
- Vehicles prohibited from motorways, including provisional riders
Common mistakes in this topic
- Treating the right-hand lane as a permanent fast lane rather than for overtaking
- Stopping on the hard shoulder for a phone call or a rest
- Driving in a lane marked with a red X because it looks clear
- Reversing back along a slip road after missing an exit
Instructor tip: Every breakdown answer follows the same order: get left, get out on the nearside, get behind the barrier, then call.