3.4 Motorways, Dual Carriageways & Tunnels

Motorways, Dual Carriageways & Tunnels

Learner permit holders cannot ride on motorways, but the theory test covers the rules you will need on the day you hold a full licence, and dual carriageways are open to learners. This section follows the RSA Rules of the Road chapter on motorways and tunnels, applied to riding a motorcycle.

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1. Who May Not Use a Motorway

Blue signs mark the start of a motorway. The Rules of the Road says the following must not enter a motorway:

The default motorway speed limit is 120 km/h unless signs show another limit, for example at road works. The RSA's recommended minimum stopping distance at 120 km/h on a dry road is 102 metres, about the length of a soccer pitch.

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2. Joining the Motorway

The Rules of the Road tells you to:

1. Use the acceleration lane to build up your speed before merging.
2. Signal early that you intend to merge.
3. Check your mirrors and your blind spot for a safe gap in the left-hand lane. On a motorcycle, that means a clear look over your right shoulder.
4. Obey road signs and markings, and do not ride on the hatched markings before merging.
5. Give way to traffic already on the motorway, and match its speed as closely as possible.
6. Treat each lane change as a separate manoeuvre, and stay in the left-hand lane long enough to adjust to the speed of traffic before you think about overtaking.

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3. Rules on the Motorway

• You must only drive ahead: no turning or reversing.
• You must not drive on any part of the motorway that is not a carriageway, such as the hard shoulder, except in an emergency. Driving on the hard shoulder of a motorway is a penalty-point offence.
• You must not stop or park unless your vehicle breaks down or a Garda signals you to stop.
• You must not pick up or set down anyone.
• If you ever find yourself riding against the flow of traffic, pull in to the hard shoulder immediately, stop, and contact the Gardaí on 999 or 112. Do not attempt to turn around.

Lane discipline

Goods vehicles over 3,500 kg, vehicles towing a trailer, horsebox or caravan, and buses designed to carry standing passengers must not use the outside lane, so expect those vehicles to stay left.

Signalling, observation and following distance

• Signal before every move. Moving from Lane 3 to Lane 1 is two separate stages, each with its own signal.
• An indicator is not a right of way. Make sure the move is safe before you make it.
• Use 'mirror, signal, mirror, manoeuvre' and check your blind spots. Checking your mirrors at least twice helps you judge how fast traffic is approaching from behind.
• Avoid staying in other drivers' blind spots, which matters even more on a narrow motorcycle.
• Use the two-second rule and keep scanning up the queue. If traffic ahead slows down sharply, use your hazard warning lights to warn traffic behind you.
• Overtake only on the right, unless traffic is moving in slow queues and the queue on your right is moving more slowly than you are.

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4. Leaving the Motorway

Exit distance signs count down to the next exit, so get into the left lane in good time. Keep up your speed until you reach the deceleration lane, then slow down and check for signs showing a lower limit, using your speedometer. Slip roads can include sharp bends. If you miss your exit, continue to the next one. Never cross the ghost island or reverse back along the hard shoulder.

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5. Breakdowns and Emergencies on a Motorway

Before a long motorway journey, check tyre pressures, oil, coolant and fuel. If your motorcycle breaks down, the Rules of the Road advice is:

• Move to the hard shoulder and park as near to the left as you can. If you cannot, warn other drivers, for example by switching on hazard warning lights.
• Use the roadside phone, which automatically tells the Gardaí your exact location, or use your mobile and describe where you are.
• Do not place any warning device, such as a triangle, on the motorway, because it is too dangerous.
• Never try to carry out repairs on the hard shoulder.
• Wear a high-visibility vest, keep away from the traffic lanes and the hard shoulder, and wait for help on the embankment side, well behind the crash barrier.
• When you rejoin, build up speed on the hard shoulder before merging, and watch for other vehicles stopped there.

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6. Dual Carriageways

A dual carriageway has two or more lanes of traffic travelling in each direction, and learners may use one. The Rules of the Road says:

• Normally ride in the left-hand lane. Use the outer lane only for overtaking or when you intend to turn right a short distance ahead.
• Turning left onto a dual carriageway: keep as close as you safely can to the left edge of the approach road, watch for traffic, take the turn when safe, then keep to the left lane and build up to the normal speed of traffic.
• Crossing or turning right onto one: when it is safe, wait in the median space for a safe gap, then finish your crossing or turn. If another vehicle is blocking the median, wait on the minor road until you can clear the first half without stopping on the carriageway.
• Turning right off a dual carriageway: move into the right-hand lane (or deceleration lane), turn into the median space, wait for a safe gap, and finish into the left-hand lane of the road you are entering.

You must not overtake from the left-hand lane of a dual carriageway or motorway when traffic is moving at normal speed.

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7. Road Tunnels

The general rules of the road apply in tunnels, with some extra points:

• Before entering: check you have enough fuel, remove sunglasses, switch on dipped headlights, and tune in to the tunnel's FM radio station if one is signed.
• Keep your distance: the recommended minimum safe distance for a car or motorcycle is 50 metres (100 metres for other vehicles), and the two-second rule still applies.
• In the tunnel: keep in lane and do not overtake. A red X over a lane means that lane must not be used.
• Speed limits in tunnels may be fixed or variable, and either way they are the maximum permitted speed, not the required speed.

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8. Motorcycle-Specific Motorway Tips

These are practical points for riders rather than extra legal rules:

• Wind blast and buffeting are strongest when passing large vehicles and on exposed bridges; relax your arms, grip the tank with your knees, and leave a wider gap.
• Spray from lorries in the wet can blind you and hide you from other drivers, so drop back.
• Visibility: choose a lane position where drivers ahead can see you in their mirrors, and do not linger in their blind spots.
• Fatigue and cold build faster on a motorcycle at sustained speed, so plan stops at rest areas and motorway services.