You are driving on a smart motorway where the hard shoulder can be opened as an active traffic lane. The overhead gantries are currently displaying a mandatory speed limit sign above the hard shoulder, as well as above the adjacent two lanes. The far right-hand lane has a red 'X' displayed above it. Traffic is light, and the active hard shoulder is completely clear ahead of you. You are currently driving in the lane immediately to the right of the active hard shoulder. According to motorway lane discipline rules, which action is correct?
- AMaintain your position in your current lane, as the active hard shoulder should only be used if you intend to leave the motorway at the next junction.
- BMaintain your position, because you should only enter a dynamic hard shoulder if the traffic in your current lane becomes heavily congested.
- Move into the active hard shoulder, as it is operating as the normal left-hand lane and you must always keep to the leftmost open lane when the road ahead is clear.Answer
- DMove one lane to your right to ensure the active hard shoulder remains completely clear for emergency vehicles and joining traffic.
Answer
The correct action is to move into the active hard shoulder, treating it as the normal left-hand driving lane.
When a smart motorway's hard shoulder is dynamically opened as a traffic lane (indicated by a speed limit sign displayed above it), it must be utilized as the normal left-hand lane. The fundamental rule of UK motorway lane discipline dictates that drivers must always keep to the leftmost available lane when the road ahead is clear. Therefore, if the active hard shoulder is clear, you must drive in it to avoid lane hogging.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Lane Discipline on Smart Motorways