Motorway

A motorway (in the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand and some Commonwealth nations) is both a type of road and a classification. Motorways may also be regarded as highways designed to carry a large volume of traffic where a normal road would not suffice or would be unsafe, usually between cities. In the UK they are predominantly dual-carriageway roads, usually with three lanes in each direction although four-lane and two-lane carriageways are also common, and all have grade-separated access.

Regulations

For a road to be classified as motorway a number of conditions must be fulfilled. The following conditions generally apply:

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• Motorways must be accessed at junctions by slip roads off the sides of the main thorough-fare;
• Separate motorways are joined by link-roads at an interchange, the object of which is to allow traffic to change route without stopping or slowing significantly;
• Traffic lights are not permitted (except at toll booths and certain small interchanges);
• The start and end of a motorway must have signposted entry and exit points;
• Certain types of transport are banned, typically: pedestrians, bicycles, learner drivers, horses, agricultural vehicles, underpowered vehicles (e.g. small scooters, invalid carriages).

In the UK and the Republic of Ireland there are further restrictions:

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• The central reservation must remain unbroken (a noted exception being the Aston Expressway in Birmingham, which has none);
• Emergency phones must be provided at a regular distance;
• A 'minimum speed limit' may apply.

Note that these only apply to roads directly designated as motorways. Roads may also be indirectly designated as such, see #Inheritance below.

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The construction and surfacing of motorways is generally of a higher standard than conventional roads, and maintenance is carried out more frequently; in particular, motorways drain water very quickly to reduce hydroplaning. Many roads are of near-motorway quality, but are not classified as such (generally for breaking one or more of the above rules). These are referred to as dual carriageways, which in Britain usually have the same 70 mph (110 km/h) limit (the limit in Ireland and New Zealand is the regular 100 km/h (65 mph) limit). They may be subject to a lower speed limit (e.g. in urban areas).

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In Ireland and the UK, motorways are denoted by blue signage (and an M-prefixed road number). Speed limits are generally higher than on ordinary roads, with an overall limit of 70 mph (110 km/h) for cars in the UK. Some types of vehicle may be subject to a lower limit, while often sections of motorway are subject to lower speed limits due to local driving conditions. Lanes closest to the edge of the road are intended for general driving – these are hence the "inside" lanes, while the lanes closest to the median are intended for overtaking (passing) slower moving vehicles – hence they are termed "outside" lanes. Some vehicles, notably heavy goods vehicles, are not permitted to use the rightmost lane on a three (or more) lane motorway.

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Roads in the Republic of Ireland have had metric speed limits since 20 January 2005 to conform both to European convention and to existing directional signage (which has long shown metric distances). The new speed limit introduced for motorways is 120 km/h (75 mph).

Related Topics:
20 January - 2005

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In New Zealand motorways were historically distinguished from other roads with green signage. This changed with the establishment of Transit New Zealand which extended the use of green signs to the entire state highway network. The speed limit on motorways is fixed at the top limit for state highways, 100 km/h (65 mph). This rule is most in evidence in Wellington where Centennial Highway in the Ngauranga Gorge is not designated as a motorway because of the steep gradiant and consequent low speed limit, despite leading directly into the Johnsonville-Porirua motorway.

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The Conservative Party had proposed increasing the UK motorway speed limit to 80 mph (130 km/h), should they have gotten into power at the past election. Many road safety groups feel this would be a good idea, as it more closely represents the normal (and, they claim, safe) driving practice of the majority of motorway users.

Related Topics:
Conservative Party - Election - Road safety

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As in Germany but unlike in some other countries, drivers are not permitted to pass on an inside lane (a lane farther from the median) unless traffic in the 'faster' lanes is stationary. With a touch of black humour, the practice is popularly known as undertaking.

Related Topics:
Germany - Black humour

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