No hard shoulder sign: what it means
This blue motorway sign means there is no hard shoulder for the distance shown, for example under a bridge.
What does the no hard shoulder sign mean?
Know your traffic signs says where a motorway has been widened but the original bridges kept, there may be no hard shoulder under or over the bridge, and signs show the distance over which this applies.
Quick quiz
What does the sign at the top of this page mean?
- Motorway rules apply from here.
- There is no hard shoulder for the distance shown.
- Motorway rules end here.
Show answer
B. There is no hard shoulder for the distance shown. It shows there is no hard shoulder for the distance shown (Know your traffic signs). Source: Know your traffic signs: motorway signs, signals and road markings, GOV.UK; The Highway Code, rule 275, GOV.UK; Traffic sign images, Department for Transport, GOV.UK
Where will you see it?
On motorways before old bridges and other short stretches without a hard shoulder.
What should you do?
If you have a problem, try to carry on until you reach the hard shoulder again or an emergency area.
What do people get wrong?
Thinking the hard shoulder is now a lane. The sign means there is no hard shoulder at all for that distance.
Common questions
Where should I stop if I break down there?
Rule 275 says the safest place to stop on a motorway is a service area; other places of relative safety include emergency areas and hard shoulders.
Is this a smart motorway sign?
No. It is used where a short stretch has no hard shoulder, for example under an old bridge.
Compare with
Want to test someone else? Play a road-sign quiz with friends and family.
Sources
Checked on 4 November 2026 against Know your traffic signs (motorway signs, signals and road markings) and The Highway Code rule 275.
- Know your traffic signs: motorway signs, signals and road markings, GOV.UK
- The Highway Code, rule 275, GOV.UK
- Traffic sign images, Department for Transport, GOV.UK
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Traffic sign images are Crown copyright, from the Department for Transport. Sources and image credits.