Emergency areas are located along motorways with no hard shoulder or where the hard shoulder can be used as an extra lane (see Rule 269) and MUST only be used in an emergency.
They are marked by blue signs with an orange SOS telephone symbol and may have orange surfacing.
Follow the requirements and advice in
- Rule 277 if your vehicle develops a problem on the motorway
- Rule 278 to rejoin the carriageway from an emergency area.
Laws MT(E&W)R reg 9 as amended by MT(E&W)(A)(E)R, & MT(S)R reg 8
Why the capitals matter. The Highway Code writes a rule in capitals — MUST or MUST NOT — when it is backed by law, so breaking it is a criminal offence. The rules that do not use capitals are advice.
5 theory test questions on this rule
From the DVSA revision question bank. These are not the questions asked in the real theory test. Each one shows the answer, the explanation, and our own note on why every other option is not it.
Car
- You have stopped in an emergency area. What must you do before you rejoin the carriageway? Motorway rules
- Why is it dangerous to leave rear fog lights switched on after the fog has cleared? Vehicle handling
- Where should you stop to rest if you feel tired while you're travelling along a motorway? Motorway rules