What is life like with your car? Let us know and win £500 in John Lewis vouchers | No thanks

Does the Highway Code include advice for driving on motorways in thick fog?

As a result of seeing the horrendous pictures of the crash on the M5 at Taunton, I have read through the section of The Highway Code relating to motorways. In the back of my mind, I have either heard or read that in fog or in inclement weather lorries should drive in the nearside lane, cars in the middle lanes and the offside lane be left for emergency vehicles. Whilst I could not find any mention of this in The Highway Code, I believe it would be a good policy to adopt as it would reduce the risk of cars being squashed between lorries. I realise that lorries do jack-knife at times and nothing is infallible, but anything to lesson the risk of death or serious injuries would help.

Asked on 2 November 2012 by MS, Somerton

Answered by Honest John
Never heard of that rule. But you make sense. The problem in this case seems to have been car drivers panic braking as soon as they hit the fogbank, then getting ploughed into by the HGVs behind.
Similar questions
There has been much in the press recently about the Centre Lane Owners Group on motorways. The 1999 edition of the Highway Code stated in Rule 238 on Lane Discipline: "If you are overtaking a number of...
A couple of recent letters in your column worryingly reveal how unaware some fellow drivers are of how to drive more safely on motorways. The most common failures can all be summarised, in my view, by...
I have just read your response to a reader concerning how to join a motorway. The reader wrote that drivers joining the motorway have no right of way but your reply says otherwise. You wrote: “The priority...