A motorway is a wide, high-speed road designed specifically for fast-moving traffic traveling long distances. In Britain and many other countries, motorways are what Americans call freeways or interstates. These roads have multiple lanes in each direction, no traffic lights or stop signs, and entrance ramps that let cars merge smoothly into fast-flowing traffic.

Motorways connect major cities and allow vehicles to travel at higher speeds than regular roads. They're built with safety features like wide shoulders, gentle curves, and barriers separating traffic moving in opposite directions. Certain vehicles, like bicycles and farm tractors, aren't allowed on motorways because they're too slow for the high-speed traffic.

British motorways have names like the M1 or M25, similar to how American interstates are called I-95 or I-80. When a family takes a long road trip across England, they'll likely spend most of their time on a motorway, watching the countryside blur past at the speed limit.