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Question

Difficulty: MediumLane Discipline

You are driving on a smart motorway where the hard shoulder is open as an active running lane, indicated by a speed limit displayed above it on the overhead gantry. Which lane should you normally use when the road ahead is clear and you are not overtaking?

  1. A
    Lane 2, to keep the hard shoulder clear for emergency services and broken-down vehicles
  2. The hard shoulder, as it is actively operating as the leftmost running laneAnswer
  3. C
    Lane 3, because the two leftmost lanes are designated exclusively for heavy goods vehicles
  4. D
    Any lane, provided you do not exceed the mandatory speed limit displayed on the gantry

Answer

The hard shoulder, as it is actively operating as the leftmost running lane.
On a smart motorway where the dynamic hard shoulder is opened to traffic (signified by a mandatory speed limit displayed above it on the gantry), the hard shoulder functions as Lane 1. Under UK Highway Code Rule 264, drivers must keep to the leftmost available lane unless overtaking slower traffic or following specific directional signage.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the status of the motorway lanes from the overhead gantry signals.
The presence of a speed limit displayed over the hard shoulder indicates that it is open to all traffic as Lane 1.
On smart motorways with dynamic hard shoulders, a speed limit sign over the hard shoulder confirms it is open as a temporary running lane, whereas a red 'X' indicates it is closed.
2
Apply standard UK motorway lane discipline according to the Highway Code.
The vehicle must occupy the leftmost available lane when cruising and not actively overtaking slower vehicles.
Highway Code Rule 264 dictates that you should always stay in the leftmost lane (Lane 1) whenever the road ahead is clear.

Key Concept

Keep-left rule on smart motorways with an open dynamic hard shoulder
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Lane Discipline

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