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Ignoring red X signs on smart motorways has landed drivers with criminal convictions and more than £100,000 in fines, court costs and victim surcharges so far this year.
A total of 378 drivers across England and Wales have been convicted of the offence this year after being caught by motorway cameras driving in closed lanes.
The convictions have resulted in £48,409 in fines, £33,255 in court costs, and £20,183 in victim surcharges.
Warning as smart motorway drivers face £100,000 court costs
Rod Dennis, road safety spokesman for the RAC, said: "The signs play an absolutely fundamental role in keeping people safe.
"This is especially the case on those where the hard shoulder has been removed permanently, as the safety of a driver who has broken down in a live lane will depend entirely on other people reacting to the red X by moving to another lane.
"We implore drivers to take heed of these signs whenever and wherever they see them – not doing so might very well be putting people’s lives in danger."
The RAC also described the ongoing offences as "concerning".
Most offenders received three penalty points on their licences, with some facing driving bans due to existing points.
The red X signals, used to close lanes when there has been a crash, a vehicle is stranded, or workers are in the carriageway, can be triggered automatically or by National Highways.
While thousands of drivers receive £100 fixed penalties, some face criminal prosecution, Press Association research has shown.
Among those recently convicted was Paul Hollowell, 56, a school governor from Warrington.
He wrote to Manchester Magistrates’ Court that he had opted to take a driver awareness course as part of an out-of-court settlement but failed to complete it because his laptop battery died during the session.
Mr Hollowell said: "I chose the driver awareness course so I can learn from the mistake and avoid such driving error in the future."
He was fined £384, given three penalty points, and ordered to pay £120 in costs and a £154 victim surcharge.
Miles Luckett, 33, from Peterborough, was also prosecuted after driving in a closed lane on the M1 at junction 15a in Northampton at around 1.30pm on February 20.
Mr Luckett said: "Due to traffic conditions in the adjacent live lane at the moment of joining, I made a split-second judgment call that an immediate sharp lane change posed a safety risk.
"While I was attempting to react safely, I fully accept that a red X is a mandatory instruction and deeply regret my misjudgment in not slowing down sooner to merge."
The red X had been displayed for more than four-and-a-half minutes when his vehicle passed.
He was fined £72, given three penalty points, and ordered to pay a £29 victim surcharge.
Other motorists convicted include Christopher Harvey, 60, from Rickmansworth, and Andreas Charalambous, 65, from Southgate.
Both were caught on the M25 near junction 18 on February 9, just 30 minutes apart.
Mr Harvey told Stevenage Magistrates’ Court there was "no obstruction in front of me" and said he did not understand how he could have avoided the offence.
He was fined £177, given three penalty points, and ordered to pay £120 costs and a £71 victim surcharge.
Mr Charalambous argued that heavy traffic in the adjacent lane prevented him from moving over safely.
He said it "took a while before there was a sufficient and safe clear distance to be able to move lanes."
He was fined £40 and given three penalty points, along with £120 in costs and a £16 victim surcharge.
When were smart motorways introduced in the UK?
A smart motorway is a section of the UK road network that uses active technology and traffic management systems to ease congestion and increase capacity without the cost or environmental impact of widening the road.
They manage traffic flow using variable speed limits, electronic signs, and CCTV monitored from regional control centres.
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The first active managed trial opened on the M42 motorway in the West Midlands in 2006, allowing temporary and active use of the hard shoulder.
The first major "all-lane running" smart motorway, permanently removing the hard shoulder, opened in 2013, which is when the lane closure rule was introduced.
However, in 2023, the UK government cancelled plans for all new smart motorways due to a severe lack of public confidence and rising financial pressures.
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