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Difficulty: EasyStopping and the Hard Shoulder

After safely resolving a minor mechanical problem while stopped on the hard shoulder of a motorway, what is the correct procedure for rejoining the live carriageway?

  1. A
    Place a red warning triangle behind your vehicle to alert traffic before pulling directly into lane 1
  2. Build up speed along the hard shoulder, indicate, and merge smoothly into a safe gap in the left-hand laneAnswer
  3. C
    Pull out into the nearest live lane immediately from a standstill while relying on other drivers to give way
  4. D
    Drive along the hard shoulder with hazard warning lights flashing continuously until you reach the next exit

Answer

Build up speed along the hard shoulder, indicate, and merge smoothly into a safe gap in the left-hand lane.
According to the Highway Code (Rule 274), when rejoining the motorway from the hard shoulder you must build up speed on the hard shoulder itself, look for a safe gap in the traffic in the left-hand lane, signal your intention, and then merge smoothly when it is safe to do so.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Check mirrors and blind spots carefully while stationary on the hard shoulder
Identify approaching vehicles and assess traffic flow in the left-hand lane (lane 1)
Ensures awareness of approaching traffic before moving off
2
Accelerate along the hard shoulder while signalling right
Vehicle reaches a speed comparable to traffic in the live lane
Prevents dangerous speed differentials when joining high-speed motorway traffic
3
Merge into a suitable gap in lane 1 and cancel the indicator
Vehicle safely integrated into the normal flow of motorway traffic
Complies with UK Highway Code Rule 274 for safe motorway rejoining

Key Concept

Safely rejoining the motorway carriageway from the hard shoulder
Estimated Time:45s
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Topics

Stopping and the Hard Shoulder

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