Drivers heading out across the UK for the New Year weekend are being warned that they risk a fine if they ignore a common road sign. If you've ever driven on a motorway - especially a smart motorway - you'll be familiar with the overhead gantries.
These are there to inform drivers of any issues, such as temporary speed restrictions, for example. The signs on the gantries are also used to open and close lanes on smart motorways.
And if these signs aren't followed, drivers risk a fine or even points on their licences, as well as potentially putting themselves and other road users at risk, reports the Mirror.
The red 'X' sign that you can find on an overhead gantry while driving on a smart motorway isn't advisory. If you see it, that means the lane is closed and no traffic should be using it.
Whether people think the sign is advisory, or simply choose to ignore it, it is vital to pay attention to the X, as Edmund King, AA President explains.
"These signs aren't optional – you must move over if you see a red 'X' above the lane you are in," he says, or else you risk a £100 fine and three points on your licence. The sign serves as an important safety feature.
"The red 'X' can be used to close a lane if there are people working in the road, someone's broken down or there's a different type of obstruction," explains the expert. "You must not drive in the closed lane until the signs tell you that you can."
More advice on what to do when you see a lane with a red 'X' and about driving on smart motorways is available on the AA website.
