Motorway Driving: DVSA Skill 23 — Rules for New Drivers
Since June 2018, learner drivers in England, Scotland, and Wales have been permitted to drive on motorways, provided they are in a car with dual controls and accompanied by an approved driving instructor (ADI). This change was made precisely because motorway driving is a critical skill that new drivers previously had to learn for the first time alone — often on their first day after passing.
DVSA Skill 23 covers motorway driving and is part of the full curriculum even if it is not always tested during the practical exam itself. Whether or not your test route includes a motorway, developing this skill during lessons is one of the highest-value things you can do as a learner.
What Examiners Look For
If the test route includes a motorway, the examiner will assess the same core elements they look for on dual carriageways — but in a higher-speed, higher-consequence environment.
Joining is the first assessment point. Speed-matching on the slip road is expected, not optional. Arriving at the motorway at low speed is a serious fault because it creates a significant hazard for vehicles in the left lane travelling at 70mph.
Lane discipline is assessed strictly. The left lane is the default lane. The middle lane is for overtaking vehicles in the left lane. The right lane is for overtaking vehicles in the middle lane. Sitting in the middle lane when the left is clear — known as middle-lane hogging — is a specific careless driving offence under the Highway Code (Rule 264) and a driving test fault.
Following distance is assessed by the examiner looking at the gap between your vehicle and the one ahead. The minimum is the 2-second rule. In wet conditions, 4 seconds is required. At motorway speeds, the distance looks much closer than it is — most novice drivers follow too closely because the gap looks large enough when it is not.
Smart motorway awareness is assessed where relevant. Ignoring a red X or a mandatory speed limit sign on an overhead gantry is a serious fault.
Breakdown procedure is a knowledge area that may be covered in the debrief discussion after the test.
The 5 DVSA Levels for Motorway Driving
Level 1: Introduced
The pupil understands what a motorway is, how it differs from a dual carriageway, and the basic rules — including that learners may now drive on motorways with an ADI in a dual-control car.
Level 2: Helped
The pupil joins the motorway with active support from the instructor — coaching on speed building, lane choice, and what to look for in the mirrors. The instructor may narrate the approach and joining sequence.
Level 3: Prompted
The pupil drives on the motorway with occasional verbal prompts — “check your gap,” “you can return to the left lane,” “gantry sign ahead.” The overall standard is broadly correct.
Level 4: Independent
The pupil joins, travels, overtakes, and exits without instructor input. Lane discipline is maintained, the 2-second rule is applied, and gantry signs are observed without reminders.
Level 5: Reflection
Test-ready standard. The pupil drives the motorway with total fluency, reads the traffic well ahead, anticipates lane changes in good time, and maintains a consistent and appropriate following distance automatically. They can explain all decisions and identify any errors they made unprompted.
Motorway Driving in Detail
Why Motorways Are Different
The speed differential between the fastest and slowest vehicles on a motorway can exceed 40mph. This, combined with the volume of traffic and the limited ability to stop quickly at 70mph, means the consequences of an error are much more severe than on a residential road.
At 70mph, you are travelling at approximately 31 metres per second. A 2-second following gap at that speed is 62 metres — just over half the length of a football pitch. This is the minimum safe gap in ideal conditions. Most new motorway drivers are surprised by how far ahead they need to look to maintain this gap without constantly braking.
Joining the Motorway
The slip road feeds onto the left lane. Your job is to arrive at the entry point at a speed that matches the traffic in that lane. Typically this means 60–65mph as you cross the give-way line.
Check mirrors while descending the slip road, identify a gap, and time your acceleration to arrive at the gap at the right speed. Signal right before you join to communicate your intentions to traffic in the left lane. Give way to traffic already on the motorway — but do not stop on the slip road unless you absolutely must.
If traffic is very heavy and no gap appears, reduce speed slightly to allow a following gap to open up in the left lane. Do not stop at the end of the acceleration lane — this is extremely dangerous.
Lane Discipline
Left lane: default cruising lane. Use it at all times when not overtaking.
Middle lane: overtaking lane for left-lane traffic. Once you have passed the vehicle, return to the left lane promptly.
Right lane (lane 3 on a 3-lane motorway): overtaking lane for middle-lane vehicles. Same rule applies — return left after passing.
Never undertake (pass a vehicle on the left) unless the traffic is in a queue and the left lane is moving faster. This is a specific rule and a common misconception — undertaking on a moving motorway is illegal and dangerous.
The 2-Second Rule
Pick a fixed object — a bridge, a road sign, a line on the road. When the vehicle ahead passes it, say “only a fool breaks the two-second rule.” If you reach the same object before you finish the phrase, you are too close.
In wet weather, use a 4-second gap. In fog or snow, even more. The gap should feel uncomfortably large by residential road standards — that is correct. At motorway speeds, it is the minimum.
Overtaking on the Motorway
MSM sequence: check interior mirror, check right door mirror, check right blind spot, signal right, move to middle lane, match the speed of the vehicle you are passing, complete the pass, check left mirror, signal left, return to left lane.
Do not pull out alongside a vehicle and match their speed — this creates a dangerous situation for vehicles approaching from behind. Commit to the overtake and complete it efficiently.
Smart Motorways
Smart motorways use overhead gantry signs and variable speed limits to manage traffic flow. The key rules:
- Red X: Lane is closed. Do not drive in it. This is a legal requirement and a camera-enforced offence.
- Speed limit in a red circle: Mandatory speed limit. You must comply — treat it exactly as you would a speed limit sign on a normal road.
- Blank gantry: The national speed limit (70mph) applies.
- Emergency Refuge Areas (ERAs): On All-Lane Running (ALR) motorways, there is no permanent hard shoulder. ERAs are marked lay-bys that substitute. Know where they are and use them for breakdowns.
Breakdown Procedure
If your vehicle develops a problem on a motorway:
- Signal left and move to the hard shoulder or ERA as quickly and safely as possible.
- Pull as far left as possible, angling the wheels toward the verge.
- Switch on hazard lights.
- Exit the vehicle from the left side only — never from the right, into live traffic.
- Move behind the barrier or up the embankment, away from the carriageway.
- Call for help using the nearest emergency telephone (connected to Highways England and logged by location) or your mobile phone.
- Wait behind the barrier, not in the vehicle. Stationary vehicles on the hard shoulder are struck by passing traffic with alarming regularity.
Never attempt to repair a tyre or carry out any vehicle work on the hard shoulder of a motorway.
Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
| Mistake | Why It Happens | The Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Joining too slowly | Fear of speed, braking on the slip road | Build speed continuously from the moment you enter the slip road; commit to the process |
| Middle-lane hogging | Uncertainty about when to return to the left | Rule of thumb: if the left lane alongside you is clear, move back into it now |
| Following too closely | 70mph gaps look large enough when they are not | Use the 2-second phrase-check at every opportunity until it becomes habitual |
| Ignoring gantry signs | Focusing on the traffic ahead rather than overhead | Practise scanning gantry signs as part of your forward-looking routine |
| Undertaking on the left | Frustration with middle-lane hogging ahead | Signal and overtake on the right correctly; never pass on the left in a moving lane |
Practice Tips
Do your first motorway lesson in off-peak hours. Early Sunday morning on a quiet section of motorway gives you the space to practise joining, lane discipline, and following distance without heavy traffic pressure. Build up to peak-hour motorway driving as confidence grows.
Practise the 2-second check every five minutes throughout the drive. Use a consistent trigger — every time you pass a gantry, check your gap. This builds the habit automatically rather than leaving it as an occasional thought.
Read gantry signs aloud as you pass them. “50mph mandatory, middle lane clear, no incidents ahead.” Narrating what you see trains the habit of actively scanning overhead rather than only looking at the traffic immediately in front.
Discuss smart motorway layouts before your first motorway lesson. Understand whether your local motorway is a smart motorway with no hard shoulder, or a traditional one. Knowing the layout in advance reduces surprises during the lesson.
Track Your Progress
Motorway driving is a skill that benefits enormously from gradual exposure across multiple lessons rather than a single long motorway session. Aim for three or four motorway lessons of 30–45 minutes each, across different times of day and traffic conditions. By your final lesson before the test, motorway driving should feel like the most straightforward part of the drive — because the high speed and simple layout (no junctions, no pedestrians, no cyclists) actually make it easier than urban driving once the initial unfamiliarity wears off.
Related Skills
- Dual Carriageways (Skill 22) — the essential prerequisite for motorway driving, covering joining, lane discipline, and overtaking at speed
- Country Roads (Skill 21) — rural driving, where the dangers are different but the principle of speed-to-conditions is equally critical
- Road Types Skills Overview — see all road type skills and how they progress through the DVSA curriculum