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Equivalent terms in other countries include autoroute, Autobahn, freeway.

Sunday April 2004 at 5 pm on the busy M25

1 Regulations

For a road to be classified as motorway a number of conditions must be fulfilled. The following conditions apply in the UK and the Republic of Ireland:

• Motorways must be accessed at junctions by slip roads off the sides of the main thorough-fare;
• Separate motorways are joined by link-road s at an interchange, the object of which is to allow traffic to change route without stopping or slowing significantly;
• Traffic lightA traffic light or traffic signal is a device positioned at road intersections or pedestrian crossings to indicate when it is safe to drive, ride or walk, using a universal color code. Introduction Traffic lights for normal vehicles or pedestrians alwayss are not permitted (except at toll booths and certain small interchanges);
• The central reservationFor "central reservation s (such as for hotels), see call center. On an expressway, motorway, or autobahn, the median ( North American English) or central reservation ( British English) is the strip of grass or the wall which separates opposing lanes of t must remain unbroken (a noted exception being the Aston Expressway in BirminghamThis article is about Birmingham in England. See also Birmingham, Alabama or other places called Birmingham. Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. Being the country's second largest city, it is usually considered B, which has none);
• Emergency phones must be provided at a regular distance;
• The start and end of a motorway must have signposted entry and exit points.

Most of these rules are occasionally broken!

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 hydroplaningHydroplaning (sometimes aquaplaning in a road vehicle is an effect similar to planing in a boat. A layer of water between the rubber tires of a road vehicle and the road surface (or between airplane wheels and the runway) reduces the friction with the tir. Many roads in the UK and the Republic of Ireland are of near-motorway quality, but are not classified as such (generally for breaking the above rules). These are referred to as dual carriageways, which in Britain usually have the same 70 mph limit (the Irish limit is the regular 60 mph limit). They may be subject to a lower speed limit (e.g. in urban areas). Queues after an accident on the M4The M4 motorway is also a motorway in the Republic of Ireland, on the route from Dublin to Sligo. See N4 road and Roads in Ireland. The M4 motorway is a motorway in the UK, which links London and Wales via Bristol Westbound The M4 starts six miles west of In both countries, 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 (113 km/h) for cars in both the UK and the Republic. 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.

Roads in the Republic of Ireland will however, have metric speed limits imposed from 20 January 2005 to conform to both European convention and existing directional signage (metric since 1970s). It is likely that the speed limit for motorways in Ireland will then be slightly increased to 120 km/h (75 mph).

The Conservative Party have proposed increasing the UK motorway speed limit to 80 mph, should they get into power at the next 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.

Like 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. Learner drivers, pedestrians, cyclists and underpowered vehicles (e.g. small scooters) are generally banned from motorways and a 'minimum speed limit' may apply.