Motorway

A motorway is Britain's version of high-speed roads.

A motorway is a legal definition: some classes of road user are explicitly prohibited from entering them (pedestrians, pedal cycles, motorcycles under 50cc, invalid carriages, learner drivers, animals, agricultural vehicles, and some other slow vehicles and those with oversized loads). As a general rule, signs having to do with motorways have a blue background (as opposed to the green background of major non-motorway roads).

A motorway is a divided road, with a crash barrier between the two carriageways. Generally, there are three lanes in each direction, plus a hard shoulder (for emergency use only); some newer roads only have two lanes in each direction, but the hard shoulder is a constant.

There are emergency telephones every mile; each distance marker (at 100m intervals) has an arrow pointing towards the nearest phone.

Access to the road is limited to junctions (normally identified by number); informational signs are placed 1 mile and 1/2 mile ahead of the junction,

Unlike the American Interstate highways, food and fuel are generally located at designated "service areas", rather than near junctions. As one might expect from a monopoly provider, prices are generally higher and quality lower than elsewhere.

Speed limits are 70mph for most vehicles; 60mph for cars towing caravans or other trailers, or heavy goods vehicles. These are widely ignored.

Legal restrictions on motorway use may be found in detail at whatever the Department of Transport is called this week.



Last edited 2003-12-10 09:32:15 (version 5; diff). List all versions.