Motorway help - very nervous driver!

[VillageFete]

Hi,

I have to take my baby boy for an important medical appointment on Saturday morning and need to use the motorway to get there.
There’s no one else to take us or accompany us.

I’ll need to set off around 8am Saturday morning and the journey takes approx 1 hour 15 mins. I’ll be going up the M62.

To say i’m terrified is an understatement. I simply have no confidence motorway driving, i’m not aware of all these new rules with smart motorways and I hate driving to places if i’m not familiar with the road layout. How will I know what lane to be in?

I’m looking for tips regarding safe motorway driving, merging on, how to know when it’s safe to change lanes at such high speeds and what these new smart motorways entail.

Also, if I stay in the left lane and traffic is merging on, do I try to change lane to let them on?

Yes, I really am this nervous and incompetent

Have you thought about having a few motorway driving lessons?

I’ve been driving decades, but I’d say that motorways were probably easier than A roads, but you do need the experience.

If you are in the left (inside) lane then yes, move into the middle to let traffic merge off a slip road.

Smart motorways mainly tell you what speed to do. They reduce speed limits to control traffic flow. Just stick to that speed. Sometimes the sign tells you that a lane is closed. That’s about all.

Look on the Goverment website for tips on smart motorways.
Try and get some experience if you can before Saturday.
Merging is pretty much the same for a dual carriageway.
Just have your wits about you and treat everyone and everything as a potential hazard.

Hey village I understand this completely. Taxi? Then motorway driving lessons when there’s less pressure. Hope the hospital visit goes well.

Look on google maps for your route before you, so you know roughly where you're going.

Look on google streetview for the junctions you're getting on and off at to see what the junction names/numbers are and which lane you ned to be in.

Leave lots of spare time so if you make a wrong turn you've got time to go round.

Could you find a driving instructor willing to give you a motorway lesson tomorrow?

Otherwise I imagine the earlier you leave, the fewer cars will be on the road - could you leave at 7 instead of 8 and then just wait around until your appointment?

It's actually easier driving on the motorway than anything else. You can just tuck yourself a safe distance behind a lorry in lane one and pootle along. You only need to come into lane two if there's a junction and other vehicles need to merge in.

Which end of the M62 are you? The Hull end is very quiet most of the time.

Perhaps between now and Saturday have some motorway practice with just you in the car not your child

Can you get someone to take you between now and Saturday to give you experience? Or try a driving instructor. Is the journey possible by public transport? If you can't get a practice in or do practice but don't feel confident then I don't think driving it with the pressure of a hospital appointment is a good idea. Alternatively how much longer is the route if you don't use the M62.

Thank for the tips so far - some great advice.

I’m going from Liverpool to Huddersfield. Hoping it could possibly be fairly quiet at 8am on a Saturday?

And yes, early Sat should be fairly quiet.

I have txt a school mum who is a driving instructor but she can’t fit me in before Saturday.

I have used the motorway before, but it was only from Liverpool to Warrington and it was a very easy run at a quiet time.

Train is possible, but a lot of faffing round with the pram, especially as the health centre we are going to is about a 30 min walk from the train station.

Joining the motorway is like joining a dual carriageway. Once you are on you just drive. Turn off like you do the dual carriageway; at your slip road.

You don't have to weave in and out of traffic; but simply overtake and move back to the left as you would if you were overtaking on the dual carriageway.

Could you get a taxi from the train station to the health centre?

8am on a Saturday should be as quiet as you can get on motorways, but if you truly can't face it, public transport could be less stressful, and there's a direct train from Lime Street to Huddersfield.

It's a bit worrying that you have a full licence but have to ask these questions.

I think you should either try and get a motorway lesson tomorrow or Friday or take the train.

If you do need specific help, I regularly drive m62 length and breadth for work so could give tips with specifics if you post which junctions etc.

It’s not hard at all. I had been driving a good four or five years before I got the confidence to not go the long way around and tackle the M25. I actually found it better than a lot of the A Roads I’d had extensive experience on.

My advice: just go for it. Get out tonight when your partner is home so you cannhave a practice and again thurs and fri to do the same- just one exit, you’ll be amazed how much more confident you’ll feel.

TBH the more you tell yourself you are scared, the more scared you'll be. It's self-fulfilling.

You don't have a lot of choice, so you're going to just have to deal with it.

And then I bet you will get there and realise you can and you did.

Just seen details.

At 8am sat should be quiet. There's quite a few roadworks round Manchester but follow signs and you'll be ok

Remember stay in lane 1 unless overtaking and move back in ASAP. Keep up with flow of traffic. If you want to drive below 70 that's ok but don't drive so slowly you're a danger. I'd say over 50 is a must unless in a q.

Lorries drive at 56 and will struggle to overtake you if you're driving mid fifties do either do 50 or get up to 60 or so.

If someone is joining, you should move into lane 2 if you are able (always check over shoulder before moving out). If you can't then either speed up or slow down to let them on. Don't forget it's ok to brake!

If there is a cross above a lane it is closed.

There are lots of speed cameras so stay at no more than 70. Plan manoeuvres in advance. Think about where you need to be and be aware of who is around you. Always indicate.

Good luck.

Quite honestly, if the train isn't an option, I'd get my partner to do the journey on the motorway with me in advance. Like a practise run?

Is that possible?

Rd into Huddersfield from m62 is 50 with speed cameras. Does anyone have a sat Mac they could lend you?

Thank you so much for taking the time to advise. It’s much appreciated.

I completely agree that it’s very worrying that I need to ask these questions after holding a license for over 10 years. It’s something I need to address. I guess i’m just not certain how different the rules are on motorways as I don’t use them.

Car has built in sat nav, it’s very rare I need to use it. I’m hoping that will let me know in good time what lane to be in?

Do you have google maps on your phone or a sat nav that you can hook up to hands free? I find these invaluable when doing long journeys as they notify you of turn offs and lane changes well in advance so you can get yourself ready.

Always indicate when pulling out and leave plenty of space between you and the car in front.

As others have said, stay in the left lane, you only have to move over if approaching a slip road and traffic is merging onto the motorway.

Keep to the speed limit as in don’t drive too slowly. This can wind people up and can be as dangerous as driving too fast.

Good luck. You’ll be fine!

Think of the motorway as no different from a duel carriageway. There are just a few more lanes.

You must stay calm and simply stay focused on the road. Will you be using a satnav? If so, set it to volume so you don't have to look at the map too much.

Also try and stay in the left hand lanes (I hate the whole near side/out side terminology). Just keep an eye out for any left hand junctions which go straight off (look at the dashes on the lane, when they are closer together it means it's a turn off lane so you might need to move over into the middle lane to remain on the road).

Try and keep at a safe speed, it's more dangerous being too slow sometimes so try and keep a steady pace.

Put some calming music on in the background but not too loud. Also bring some bits to keep your DC entertained whilst driving.

The roads should be fairly quiet that time of the morning so I'm sure you'll be fine.

I’m hoping that will let me know in good time what lane to be in?

You will be in lane 1 the whole time unless you are overtaking someone.
You will join and leave the motorway in lane 1, so you can stay there the entire time if you want.

I am actually rather worried you are asking these questions now too. It's one thing to have anticipatory nerves of the unknown, but quite another to not know basic stuff like lanes. It concerns me you are considering travelling on high speed roads with so little awareness to be frank.