Tips on joining a motorway

Joining and leaving the motorway are generally considered the more tricky elements of the journey. When it comes to leaving the motorway, it is all about selecting the right exit and moving over to the left hand lane to exit the motorway in good time so that you are not pressured to move across traffic a few hundred yards from the exit.

Note that the countdown markers before a junction will tell you how far away from it you are and if you are uncertain then simply move into the left hand lane after the junction before you want to exit has just been passed.

When it comes to joining the motorway, the key to remember is that traffic that is already on the motorway has priority, and you can't simply rely on drivers moving out: whilst many do, there are those that don't and also situations where a driver won't be able to move across because there is also traffic in the outer lanes.

Sometimes there are hatch markings to help you join - vehicles are not allowed to drive over these markings, so you simply can stay in lane and then join the motorway where the markings end.

When you do join the motorway you should try and be up to a reasonable speed so that you do not cause the vehicles behind you to have to slow down.

Related Articles...

driving theory test
Hazard Perception
There has been a significant increase in the focus of hazard perception and hazard awareness in the last few years since the introduction by the DSA of a separate hazard perception element to the...

Types of brakes and braking system
The brakes on your car are one of the most important elements of the car, and when you learn the ABC of accelerator, brake and clutch you realise if you hadn't already how to standardly operate the...

Cost of a driving theory test
If you are learning to drive a car in the UK, then there is not just the practical test to think about. You must also pass a theory test in order to be able to take the driving practical test...

Your ignition system explained
The ignition system is of course an essential part of the technology that allows cars to function, and without it you would not get very far. But what does it do? Well the system provides the...

How Pass Plus Works
What does pass plus contain? Well, it has six different modules and each of these ones focuses on a different set of conditions in which you might have to drive. These are in and around the town,...

Road position and large vehicles
In a car there are of course blind spots, but as soon as you drive a lorry you realise how significant the blind spots are for those vehicles. For one simple thing even with vans you can't...

Road conditions: driving in rain
Driving in rain is something that you can be sure you will experience regularly once you are an actual driver, although depending where you live and the time of year you learnt, you might have...

When you must not stop when driving
The regulations relating to stopping article looks at when you must stop, now it is time to look at when you must not stop as a driver... There are times when you need to stop, but also many...

Typical brake faults outlined
The brakes are a mechanical object and so it is possible that they will develop problems and not function the way that they should be. This is clearly very dangerous because brakes are one of the...

Overtaking cyclists safely
You need to constantly be on the lookout for cyclists because they are a lot less visible than cars and motor vehicles. Whilst cyclists should have lights in poor light conditions or in the...


Back to home page of driving theory test questions