Drivers face a £100 fine and three penalty points every time they drive on the motorway – don’t get caught

Drivers could be fined £100 and given three penalty points for failing to follow general rules when driving on a motorway.

Research by road safety charity IAM RoadSmart found that this type of incident occurred more often than 53,000 times since 2021

Drivers could be fined for ignoring a red X or entering a closed lane while using a smart motorway.

National Highways authorities activate lane closure signs when stopped vehicles are detected on busy lanes to prevent accidents and protect emergency services.

The change follows a change in the law that came into effect in September 2022 that allows police to use cameras to pursue drivers who disregard road signs.

If you are caught committing this offence you could receive three penalty points, other more severe penalties or even a summons to appear in court.

Data obtained by IAM RoadSmart following freedom of information requests to police showed there were 4,393 incidents recorded in 2021, while this rose to 20,773 in 2022 and 28,231 in 2023.

IAM RoadSmart Policy and Standards Director Nicholas Lyes said: “Ignoring a red X on a smart motorway is dangerous, as it can be a serious accident. We are pleased that the police are taking tough action against those who break the law.”

Most drivers have serious concerns about the safety of smart motorways that have had their hard shoulder removed, and this data is unlikely to convince them that they are safe.

We know that there will be no new smart motorways with all lanes, but the question arises, what to do with the existing, already operational sections?

“This is something the new government needs to think seriously about.”

Smart hard shoulder motorways were created to increase capacity without the increased costs of building wider roads.

A National Highways Service spokesman said: “The red X signal is intended to increase safety for all road users by highlighting a problem ahead.

“More than 90% of drivers obey red X signals, but ignoring them is an offence and puts yourself and others at risk.”

In April 2023, then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak cancelled all future planned smart motorway projects due to long-standing safety concerns following a number of fatal crashes in which vehicles stationary on the hard shoulder lanes were hit from behind.

Campaigners say at least 79 deaths have been linked to smart motorways, while government figures show 38 deaths between 2015 and 2019.

The Government has long been under pressure to scrap the routes, which has drawn criticism from MPs and road safety campaigners including the RAC and AA.

Activist Claire Mercer, whose husband was killed on a motorway in South Yorkshire, welcomed the government’s decision.

Ms Mercer said: “That’s great, that’s very good news. I’m particularly happy that it’s been confirmed that the routes that are in the planning stage, in the works, have also been cancelled. I didn’t think they would do that.

“That’s good news, but of course it’s the existing ones that are killing us. And I’m not going to settle for more emergency shelters.

“We’re halfway there, but we still have half the battle ahead of us.”