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Motorway Driving
If you do not intend to take any Motorway
lessons, at the very least read on, it WILL help you!
We do motorway lessons for pupils who have passed their test. We have a route
designed that will suit all, with varying degree’s of skill needed, and to suit your
ability, progressing throughout the lesson(s).
These lesson(s) come with a fact sheet covering how to deal with dual carriageway and
motorway, and includes some high speed driving, if conditions permit.
This lesson normally lasts between 70 and 90 minutes, but can be extended to suit.
You will need a full licence for these lessons.
These lesson(s) come Highly recommended.
Motorway Driving!
After passing your test, it will be perfectly legal to drive on Motorways
Although motorways are the safest roads of all,
you have to know the rules, which are sometimes different from ordinary roads. Motorways
are a bit like railways in that they only work if everything keeps moving, and in an
orderly fashion.
You will, I hope, have driven on some fast
dual carriageways during your training, if not whilst on your driving test. Most people
will have been driven, as passenger, on motorways. The example shown by your driver might
not have been the
correct one, so do not necessarily do the same, but make sure you yourself do it right!
Okay, down the slip road we go.
You will see the slip road ending with a
single dotted line going diagonally across it,
tapering the slip road from the right until it ends in a point on the left. This is the
edge of the motorway and is a "Give Way" line, though if we do it right it is
unlikely we will actually have to "Stop and Give Way". We must though, as with
all Give Way lines, realise that this may happen, and approach so we can stop if necessary.
After making sure all is clear ahead, both on the slip road
and the motorway, start building the speed up to something like motorway speed, say 40-50,
and begin looking early to the right. We are looking for traffic approaching in the
nearside lane, sometimes called the left lane, the first lane, the driving lane or the
slow lane. (Driving lane is the most correct - slow lane is the most wrong description).
Sometimes the traffic will see you coming down the slip road, and if they are able, will
pull out into the next lane to let you out. In any case, it is a suitable gap we are
looking for, and
should adjust our speed, either accelerating more, or slowing, or perhaps it will do just
as it is, so we can slide into the gap just as we come to the end of the slip road.
Immediately match your speed with anything
in that lane so
as not to cause inconvenience. Then stay there for a minute or two until you become
accustomed to what is going on, and this applies always.
If you want to go faster, up to the national limit of
70, and need to overtake to do this, make absolutely sure, with your mirrors, that nothing
from behind will be inconvenienced, giving yourself time to make a proper assessment of
their speed, then put your right hand (offside) indicator on, check again to see it's
effect, if any, then gradually pull out and accelerate to overtake. If there is traffic
ahead in the nearside (driving) lane that will mean you continually going in and out, then
stay in the overtaking lane, because this is what you are doing, overtaking, otherwise
come back into the driving lane.
Keep a two second gap between you and traffic ahead.
Two seconds?
Watch for the vehicle ahead to pass some identifiable object on the side of the motorway,
count to ten fairly briskly, that's two seconds. You should not yourself pass the same
object until then. Yes, people keep coming into the gap you leave by doing this. You must
allow the gap to build up to two seconds again - sorry. Well you do want to stay alive
don't you?
Remember to double this rule to four (4)
seconds in wet conditions
The third, and sometimes fourth lanes, if anything is
in them at all it will be doing the national limit or perhaps considerably more, so they
are to be used with great care. Care in going into them, that is. If you are doing the
national limit in the middle lane, do not assume that dot in your mirror in the third lane
will not become a full sized car in two seconds flat! It might well be doing 120 mph, and
they risk the loss of their licence, and maybe much more.
Know your route before you get on to the motorway.
This way you will not be taken by surprise by the sign showing your turn-off appearing
with you in the third lane, in heavy traffic! So take notice of the first warning, which
comes one mile from the junction, and be in the first (driving) lane when the slip road
comes up. Indicate left at the 300 yard sign (///),
Use the slip road for braking, not the motorway proper, and arrive at the junction/roundabout over/under
the motorway prepared to give way if necessary.
So now you have driven on to, along and off a
motorway. Congratulations!
After reading the Highway Code's advice and perhaps the DSA's driving manual about motorways, go try it for real. A little word now about the other way
of driving on motorways.
Motorways were built with a specific traffic density
in mind. After this is reached, and beyond, the rules change. Many motoring rules have
become law after the practice became widespread. This is because sensible drivers drive
sensibly and according to the conditions. The rules sometimes catch up later! Remember the
bit about the likeness to railways? This is it. The various lanes cease to be driving or
overtaking lanes. They all become driving lanes, and can genuinely be described as slow,
medium and fast lanes, with a continuous line of traffic in each. Now, overtaking is very
difficult, and dangerous. Maintain that gap. Watch for your turn-off junction and take
great care changing to the left hand lane. Do it in good time. You
may have to cross two or more lanes of traffic. Any lapse of concentration can be
disastrous. This is the stuff multiple pile-ups are made of. Strangely, there are rarely
any accidents in these conditions. Everyone is being extremely careful. There is a
condition though, that renders motorways lethal, it is -
FOG!
If you get into it unexpectedly, turn off or stop at
a service area. Remember
the golden rule - always drive at such a speed that you can stop in the
distance you can SEE to be
clear". If only everyone kept to that!
Happy motorway driving!
Postal address
29 Claire Street. Newmains. Wishaw. Motherwell. Scotland. ML2 9DF
Tel - 01698 383492
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