Theory test / Motorway rules
Motorway rules theory test questions
Up to date with the current Highway CodeLast reviewed October 2026
Motorway rules questions test what you do on the fastest roads in the country: who is allowed on them, how to join and leave, which lane to use, what the overhead signals mean and what to do if your car breaks down. Most of the answers come from Rules 253 to 274 of the Highway Code, with the breakdown advice in Rules 275 to 280.
Since June 2018 learner drivers in Great Britain can take motorway lessons, but only with a DVSA approved driving instructor in a car with dual controls. A friend or parent cannot take a learner on the motorway, however long they have held a licence. Cyclists, horse riders, pedestrians, provisional motorcycle licence holders and riders of mopeds under 50 cc are banned altogether.
The overhead signals catch a lot of people out. A red X or red flashing lights mean the lane is closed and you must not drive in it, even if it looks clear: there may be a broken-down car, people or emergency vehicles further on. A speed limit inside a red circle is mandatory and enforced by cameras. A number without a red circle is advisory, and amber flashing lights warn of a hazard ahead. On motorways where the hard shoulder is sometimes used as a lane, you may only drive on it when a speed limit is shown above it. A blank sign or a red X over it means it is for emergencies only.
Lane discipline is simple but often answered wrongly. Keep in the left lane unless you are overtaking, overtake only on the right, and return to the left when it is safe. Vehicles towing a trailer, and larger goods and passenger vehicles, must not use the right-hand lane of a motorway with three or more lanes. A car towing a caravan or trailer is limited to 60 mph on a motorway, while a car on its own may do 70 mph. The typical overall stopping distance at 70 mph is 96 metres, so keep at least a two-second gap and double it in the wet.
For breakdowns, remember "go left, get safe, get help". Try to reach an exit, a service area, an emergency area or the hard shoulder. Get out on the side away from traffic, wait behind the barrier and never put a warning triangle on a motorway. If you cannot get out safely, stay in the car with your seat belt and hazard lights on and call 999. To leave an emergency area you must use the emergency telephone so the operator can tell you when it is safe, and may close a lane for you.
Try 5 free questions
No account needed. Pick an answer to see whether it is right and why.
You are a learner driver. Who can you have a motorway lesson with?
The free questions with answers
1. You are a learner driver. Who can you have a motorway lesson with?
Answer: A DVSA approved driving instructor in a dual-control car
Rule 253 says provisional car licence holders must not drive on a motorway unless they are with an approved driving instructor in a car with dual controls and L plates. A parent or friend is not enough, whatever their experience.
Highway Code rule 253
2. A red X is shown on the overhead sign above your lane. What must you do?
Answer: Move to an open lane, as you must not drive in this one
A red X means the lane is closed. Rule 258 says you must move safely to an open lane and must not drive in the closed one, because people, stopped vehicles or emergency services may be in it.
Highway Code rule 258
3. Your car breaks down in a live lane of a motorway with no hard shoulder. You cannot reach the left lane and it is not safe to get out. What should you do?
Answer: Stay in the car with your seat belt and hazard lights on, and call 999
Rule 277 says that if you cannot get to a place of relative safety or cannot get out safely, you should stay in the vehicle, keep seat belts and hazard lights on and call 999 for the police. They can close the lane and protect you.
Highway Code rule 277
4. On some motorways the hard shoulder is used as an extra lane at busy times. When can you drive on it?
Answer: When a speed limit is shown on the sign above it
Rule 269 says you can only use the hard shoulder as a lane when a speed limit is shown above it. A blank sign or a red X above it means it is for emergencies only.
Highway Code rule 269
5. You are joining a motorway from a slip road. What should you do?
Answer: Give priority to motorway traffic and match your speed to the left lane
Rule 259 says you should give priority to traffic already on the motorway and match your speed to fit safely into the flow in the left-hand lane. You should not cross solid white lines or use the hard shoulder to join.
Highway Code rule 259
Questions people ask
- Can learner drivers go on the motorway?
- Yes, but only with a DVSA approved driving instructor in a car fitted with dual controls and showing L plates (or D plates in Wales). Driving on a motorway with a parent or friend is still illegal for learners.
- What does a red X on a motorway gantry mean?
- The lane under it is closed and you must not drive in it. Move to an open lane in good time. Driving under a red X is an offence that can be caught on camera.
- What should I do if I break down on a motorway with no hard shoulder?
- Move left and try to reach an emergency area, marked by a blue sign with an orange SOS telephone symbol. If you cannot get out of the lane or cannot get out of the car safely, stay inside with your seat belt on and hazard lights on and call 999.
- Is the speed shown on an overhead sign always the legal limit?
- Only when it is inside a red circle. A speed shown without the red circle is advice, though driving faster than it in a hazard is still unwise.
Other theory test topics
Rule references: The Highway Code (GOV.UK), Open Government Licence v3.0. Questions and explanations are written by PassRank and are not the official DVSA revision questions.