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N/A - When is it legal to use a closed lane again? - Arby

I was on the M1 a few days ago. It was in the smart motorway section.

A sign closed lane 1. (Large matrix display on the left hand side with a pictogram of the lanes and a red "X" over lane 1.

Sure enough there was a broken down car and a recovery truck.

At no point (from just south of Leicester to the M25) was there a sign showing lane 1 had re-opened.

When can you legally move over and start using lane 1 again?

N/A - When is it legal to use a closed lane again? - Middleman

When you see a speed limit sign (including the National Speed Limit indication) or the word "End" over the relevant lane.

N/A - When is it legal to use a closed lane again? - RT

There is a fundamental flaw with the legalities concerning overhead gantries in the UK - if a gantry is blank, does it mean that no restrictions apply or that the sign is broken.

It's stupid that signs don't default to a green arrow, indicating the lane is open or a NSL sign when no restrictions apply.

N/A - When is it legal to use a closed lane again? - Gibbo_Wirral

When you see a speed limit sign (including the National Speed Limit indication) or the word "End" over the relevant lane.

There's been times when I've come out of roadworks and these signs haven't been lit.

Yet, anyone joining from the sliproad I've passed where there have been no signs wouldn't have been given any indication!

N/A - When is it legal to use a closed lane again? - Andrew-T

Logically one might think that after passing an obstruction which is clearly the reason for the lane closure, if the next gantry shows (or implies by being blank) lane clear, a driver could not be faulted for returning to lane-1 ?

N/A - When is it legal to use a closed lane again? - Arby

Thank you for all of your responses.

The reason for asking is that I have two NIPs.

1. After passing the obstruction I was pulled over by an unmarked police car for not pulling over in to lane 1 - due care and attention - after passing the obstruction.

2. About 5 minutes after must have been caught by a roadside camera and I got a nip in the post for driving in lane 1 when it was closed and it is timed after the first nip - so it is after being told that I had to.

I had moved out at the first sign of the lane closure - well before the actual sign.

Luckily because of the first pulling over, I made sure I saved my dashcam footage for the entire journey.

I think I will be going to court to fight this!

N/A - When is it legal to use a closed lane again? - RT

Contact Pepipoo for more detailed advice.