Changes to the Highway Code: rules on using motorways

If you Drive Professionally, it is vital you are always up to date with the highway code!

There have been changes to the highway code with the rules on using motorways, that take effect from today.

The changes made as of today refer to guidance on smart motorways.

33 Existing rules have been amended, and there has been 2 new rules introduced.

The 2 new rules introduced are as follows-

New Highway code Rule 270 to add images and ensure readers understand:

• emergency areas are located along motorways without hard shoulders or where the hard shoulder is used some of the time as an extra lane
• how to recognise an emergency area
• emergency areas are for emergency use only

New Highway code Rule 275 to ensure readers understand:

• a place of relative safety is where the people and vehicles involved in a breakdown or other incident are less likely to be at risk from moving traffic
• the safest place to stop in the event of a breakdown or incident is a location which is designed for parking
• on motorways and other high-speed roads, the safest place to stop is a service area
• other places of relative safety on motorways and other high-speed roads include lay-bys, emergency areas and hard shoulders
• hard shoulders provide less protection than other places of relative safety

To see a list of all other amendments to the Highway Code please click the Gov link here