Quote:
Originally Posted by jamesqf
I'd thought "dual carriageway" was what we'd call a divided highway. Not quite a freeway with entrance/exit ramps, but the travel lanes separated, and access only at limited points.
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This is correct, but as far as the law is concerned they are just A class roads.
Motorways on the other hand are similar to freeways, normally have a hard shoulder (sometimes designated as a bus lane) which is an emergency refuge and a lane for emergency vehicles, access from the nearside (though the M8, in Glasgow, has an off ramp on the right!), and restrictions for farm tractors, cyclists and learners, among other things.
The dual carriageway North of me is the same as a Motorway, except for no hard shoulder. It has lay-bys, every few miles, in case a driver has to stop.
Here in the UK, most motorists adhere religiously to lane discipline. If a driver is travelling in lane 1 and comes upon a lane hog in lane 2 he will go round him in lane 3! And if there is no lane 3, it is likely he will sit behind the lane hog, flashing his lights. It is definitely not like in the US where, as far as I could see, you just drive in whatever lane takes your fancy.