A guide to motorway driving for new drivers

Friday 22nd May 2026

If you’ve just passed your driving test – congratulations! High speeds, heavy traffic and an unfamiliar set of rules can make it nerve-racking to start driving on the motorway. Particularly if you haven’t done it before. These eight tips will help you approach your first motorway drive with confidence. 

Motorway driving rules 

Motorways carry heavy traffic at high speed, so a moment's poor judgement brings far greater risk. That's why good motorway etiquette matters. 

1. Stay left and indicate before you move 

Keep to the left lane unless overtaking, and return to it after every manoeuvre. Middle-lane hogging is a careless driving offence: it disrupts traffic flow and can result in a £100 fixed penalty fine plus three points on your licence. If you gain six or more points within two years of passing your test – you’ll lose your licence automatically. 

Check your mirrors and blind spot, signal, then move, in that order, every time. 

2. Keep a safe following distance 

When the vehicle in front passes a fixed point, such as a sign or a bridge, count two seconds. If you reach that point before you finish counting, then you're too close. At 70 mph, you’re thinking distance alone is around 21 metres before you even touch the brake, so the gap needs to allow for this. 

In rain, extend the rule to four seconds. On ice or snow, leave even more time. 

The two-second rule only works if your tyres are in good condition. Worn tread weakens tyre grip, especially in the wet. The legal minimum for tyre tread is 1.6mm, but aim to replace your tyres when tread is down to 3mm. This will ensure safe stopping distances can be maintained when driving on motorways. Check your tyre tread at least once a month, and if the tread is low, buy tyres online or at your local Formula One Autocentres branch today. 

3. Keep headlight flashing for hazard warnings only 

Never flash your headlights to pressure another driver into moving over. If a vehicle is slow to move aside, wait. Flashing can come across as aggressive and is a known trigger for road rage. 

4. Know which type of smart motorway you're on 

Smart motorways use technology to manage traffic flow, and this changes what you should do in an emergency and what speed limits are enforced. There are three types of smart motorway.  

• All lane running - where there is no hard shoulder.  
• Dynamic hard shoulder running - where the hard shoulder opens up as a live lane during busy periods 
• Controlled motorways - where there is a permanent hard shoulder, but overhead gantries display varying maximum speed limits to keep traffic moving safely.  5.

5. Follow the overhead signs 

A speed limit shown in a red circle on an overhead gantry is mandatory. A red X means the lane is closed. Cameras enforce both. 

6. Know where the emergency areas are 

On all lane running sections, emergency areas sit at intervals along the carriageway, marked with blue signs and an orange SOS symbol. Move left at the first sign of any problem with your car. 

7. What to do if you break down on a motorway 

Breaking down in a live lane is one of the most dangerous situations you can face as a driver. The goal is always to get off the carriageway as quickly as possible; every second spent stationary in a live lane increases risk significantly. 

8. Get off the carriageway if you can 

If you have any warning of a problem, aim for the next exit, service area, or emergency refuge area. Driving slowly on a failing tyre to reach safety is far preferable to stopping in a live lane. 

9. Know what to do if you cannot exit 

If you can't exit, pull as far left as you can, switch on your hazard lights, get out of your car as quickly as possible using the left-hand passenger door and get behind the barrier. Don't stay in the vehicle, and don't stand in front of it or behind it. Call National Highways on 0300 123 5000 or use a roadside emergency phone. The roadside phones will work even where there's no mobile signal. 

10. Keep your vehicle in good shape before your motorway drive 

A breakdown is far less likely when your car is properly maintained. Before any long motorway journey, check your tyres and book a service if one is due. Find your nearest Formula One Autocentres branch and book online today.