What happens if you use Police sliproad?
Discussion
TLDR is it actually illegal for someone who isn't Police to use a "Police only" exit from a motorway? What about the crossovers they have between certain motorways? I ask because I saw someone do just this 
On Friday afternoon I was joining the clockwise M25 from the M40. Traffic was especially heavy (it's the M25 on a Friday afternoon</obvious>) due to accidents and somewhat surprisingly Google Maps suggested I take an unnumbered junction, circled in red, that dumps you straight onto a backroad.
To anyone who has driven on a British motorway it's pretty obvious you're not meant to use it; you have to cross the hard shoulder and the alignment is wrong. But, the car in front of me (presumably also being guided by Google) hesitated for a moment, then crossed the hard shoulder and left the motorway.
Once you've passed the "End of Motorway Regulations" sign a "Police Patrol Vehicles Only" sign comes into view, which to obey would mean reversing back onto the hard shoulder.
I chuckled at the audacity of the car in front's manoeuvre but as he was getting on with his journey and I was sat with thousands of other cars on the M25, I started to wonder if it was actually illegal or just something that so few people would do that they've never bothered with legislation (like the backdoor routes out of certain services).
On Friday afternoon I was joining the clockwise M25 from the M40. Traffic was especially heavy (it's the M25 on a Friday afternoon</obvious>) due to accidents and somewhat surprisingly Google Maps suggested I take an unnumbered junction, circled in red, that dumps you straight onto a backroad.
To anyone who has driven on a British motorway it's pretty obvious you're not meant to use it; you have to cross the hard shoulder and the alignment is wrong. But, the car in front of me (presumably also being guided by Google) hesitated for a moment, then crossed the hard shoulder and left the motorway.
Once you've passed the "End of Motorway Regulations" sign a "Police Patrol Vehicles Only" sign comes into view, which to obey would mean reversing back onto the hard shoulder.
I chuckled at the audacity of the car in front's manoeuvre but as he was getting on with his journey and I was sat with thousands of other cars on the M25, I started to wonder if it was actually illegal or just something that so few people would do that they've never bothered with legislation (like the backdoor routes out of certain services).
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