Smart Motorways

Motorists could be fined £100 and get themselves three penalty points if they ignore a lane closure on a smart motorway.

Lanes marked by a red X are closed, meaning the motorist must not travel in that lane. Getting caught in a lane with a red X overhead could land them £100 fine and three penalty points, and thanks to permanent cameras that are live 24/7 motorists can be sent an instant fine.

Reasons for lane closure vary, it could be to allow emergency services to get to an accident or incident much quicker. There could be debris on the road following a crash. So choosing to drive in these lanes could cost more than just the fine!

Smart motorways are sections of motorway in Great Britain that use active traffic management to increase capacity, resulting in smoother traffic flow, more reliable journey times, fewer road traffic collisions and reduced noise and air pollution. They do this by use of variable speed limits and a hard shoulder running at busy times.