Safety features

Motorways are five times safer than ordinary roads, mostly because of their extensive safety features..

Rumble strip

The painted white lines separating the right-most lane from the hard shoulder perform two safety functions:

• - They provide a useful visual indication of safe driving distance from the vehicle in front: 1 line danger, 2 lines safety.

They make a noise when you drive on them, alerting you if stray from the lane, as a result of inattention or drowsiness.

Safety barriers and impact dampers

If your vehicle leaves the road, the safety barriers on either side will prevent impact with obstacles and absorb impact energy to lessen the risk of injury.

The barriers along the central reservation prevent the vehicle from crossing into ongoing traffic.

Windsocks

At intervals along the motorway there are masts flying characteristic red-and-white-striped windsocks, which provide a very useful indication of wind speed and direction.

Hard shoulder

The hard shoulder to the right of the right-most traffic lane is out of bounds to traffic except in genuine emergencies.

If you have to stop on the hard shoulder, all occupants should leave the vehicle from the right-hand side and get to safety behind the safety barrier.

Variable-message Sign

Variable-message panels show realtime information on incidents ahead, or advice on safe driving.

Anti-dazzle screens

On downhill stretches and round bends, anti-dazzle screens mounted on the central reservation barriers help prevent dazzle from the headlights of vehicles coming the other way.