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

You are all incredibly helpful and have given me food for thought, thank you!

So pleased it’s the easier junction to exit. Thank God!!

Looking briefly on Google maps, it looks like I may leave the 62 and join the M6? And then end up back on the 62 again? Sightly confused I will have to look properly later when my baby is in bed.

No, the M62 is just 1 motorway, no need for the M6. It might get a bit confusing around where it joins the M60 but just keep heading for the M62 Leeds
When you come off at jn23 just go straight down. There is 1 roundabout immediately as you come off but go straight over it in the direction of the town centre. Then after about a mile or 2 you will get to a smaller roundabout. Go straight ahead again.
The clinic is about 200 yards on your right, it’s behind trees so you can’t really see it but it’s a big old house in its own grounds. You will need to turn right to access it. I think it’s the first right after the roundabout. You turn just before the liberal club on the corner and then right again into the car park
If you reach a Tesco extra on the left you’ve missed it

Are you going for a tongue tie appointment? Your baby may be very unsettled afterwards. I would factor that in and get someone else to drive as I think that is extra pressure you don't need when you are not confident driving on the motorway.

Lots of good advice from PPs. I just want to add - you’ve already been driving on much more complicated roads than motorways, and managing fine.
Motorways have no pedestrians, cyclists, horses, tractors, right turns, roundabouts or traffic lights - you just join from a slip, drive in a boring straight line, and leave on a slip! There are absolutely no distractions or complex driving decisions to make. The biggest problem is not falling asleep!
You will be fine OP, and it will give you a nice confidence boost when you do it successfully and get home safely. Stop worrying and go for it!

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

Is it. Hmmm - don't be so nasty (and inaccurate, too). I've been driving since 1990 and still don't like motorway driving and avoid if there is a sensible alternative. My driving around town and on A roads is perfectly competent and I imagine the OP's is too. OP do you absolutely have to use the M62? I usually find a workaround. But if you can't, don't be intimidated by other people, and 60mph is just fine, although you may find everyone shoots past you at 80+. I think anything less than 60 is too slow.

Don't rely on satnav, look at a map so you know which exit you need in advance. Satnavs can be good but they can be very late with instructions, too (though I find Google maps quite good). I don't use them but when I've been in other people's cars I quite often give them instructions before the satnav does! But as others have said, if you go wrong, don't worry! The worst case scenario is that you have to drive a mile or so before you can turn round and if you miss your motorway junction there will be another one soon. If I go wrong I often just carry on and find a workaround and that's how I find new ways to get to places.

Good luck, keep calm, have some nice music to distract you (in a good way) and ignore the nasty unhelpful comments on here.

Do you need to use the M62 all the way? Just wondering if you could use the East Lancs so far and join it (M60) further down (Wardley?)

Good luck OP... please don't go slower than 60/65 if the traffic is nice and free flowing. Driving slowly can really be unsafe for you and other drivers. One last thing, stick to lane 1 unless overtaking. Please do not fall into the bad habit that seems to be so common of pootling along in the middle lane when lane 1 is free.

When you come down the slip road you look out over the motor way and look for gaps in the inside lane. Match your speed to theirs and slide into the space. They will let you in if they see you aiming for it, no body wants a collision. You just have to drive decisively and don't dither. If you see traffic joining and there is enough space to move over for them then you should but if not then keep going at the same speed. Don't try to slow for them as they may be counting on getting in behind you. Maintain speed.

Always check and double check your blind spot when changing lanes. Keep an eye on your right wing mirror and take note of the colour car behind in that lane. When moving over check blind spot then mirror. If the red car is still where you expect it to be and a good distance back, recheck over your shoulder and move out. If it isn't, don't go anywhere until you've really checked for it. It can't have gone far so if you can't see it anymore then it's probably right up your arse.

Drive as far left as you can unless overtaking or unless the overhead signs tell you otherwise. Don't undertake. Left lane traffic must be moving more slowly than the middle lane. If you want to go faster then you have to move out and go around them in the right hand lane and move back to the left when done overtaking. Have your phone on the dashboard with Google maps directing you as it will tell you which lanes to use. There will also be overhead signage telling you the speed limit and which lane goes where.

Hi OP
Motorways are actually really easy once you let go of the fear.

Merging the same as a dual carriageway, and most of the time people will let you in if it's busy so it's really nothing to worry about. Just match yourself with a gap.

If you are worried, and happy going along as 55/60 you will probably never have to change lanes. If you ever do want to, I would just wait till there is a massive gap, and then change.

Put Google maps on and it will tell you which lane you need to be in at roundabouts. Remember if you end up in the wrong lane it's not the end of the world, either change if you can or follow it off and Google maps will recalculate for you.

Smart motorways just tell you what speed to travel and that's it.

If you go on green flag or aa route planner, you can just pick avoid motorway, will take longer. Then get some motorway lessons once you’ve done this trip

fairweather I really don't see how your driving on A roads can be competent if you can't drive on motorways.

OP is nervous which is fair enough, but if you consistently find you can't drive on motorways, then there is something wrong with your driving. There is nothing you really do differently on a motorway over an a road, the it difference is higher speed lane changes but the concept is still the same as town lane changing or coming out of a junction. Wait for a gap, move.

Try to think ahead and give yourself time to overtake. So look ahead and preempt actions of lorries cars moving out into middle lane. Don't speed.

I know how you feel - but I have had to get used to it since my DD started university and I am a single parent. I had a motorway lesson to learn the basics.

I do think going earlier in the morning would be better. In my experience the thinking about it is a lot worse than doing it ! The nerves get better with each time you drive on the motorway. Just use your mirror a lot before transferring lanes. Good luck.

OP I don't want to stress you out but have you also considered that you will be driving home after the appointment and that traffic will be significantly busier by then? Just keep a cool head and have your wits about you. There can be some quite aggressive drivers on the M60 (although weekdays is worse for this). Just keep to the left and out of their way and you'll be fine.

Id be inclined to go 90 minutes earlier and have breakfast there. Hopefully even quieter and less stressful in terms of timing. Then youll probably have more normal traffic on way home when youve done it once already

I wouldn’t recommend the local, moorland roads as an alternative to the M62 over Saddleworth Moor. Not as fast as the motorway, but steep, narrow and bendy! Far worse than motorway driving, with tricker navigation.

Don't panic when joining, you can use the whole length of the slip road to get up to speed and slip in behind someone. Don't feel you have to rush out.

Check your rear view mirror regularly so you know what's going on behind. Try to predict when things may slow down. Eg is there a hill coming up and lorries which might slow down and require you to overtake. Just try to keep an eye out for things like this so you have time to react.I bet there is a youtube video on it!

Hi OP. When you leave Liverpool, stay in Lane 2 until you cross the M6 at junction 10. This is to stop you being filtered off.
Set your cruise control to 65.
The M62 turns into the M60 at Junction 12. You need to be in the left lane after j11.
Once on the M60, stay in the second lane until you pass Birch services.
Once past the services, you have about 25-30 miles to go, depending on if you're coming off at j23 or j24. Hth.

OP I don't want to stress you out but have you also considered that you will be driving home after the appointment and that traffic will be significantly busier by then?

Agree - is there nobody more local you can go to?

Huge thanks, i’m going to read all of these replies properly soon, I have skimmed over them but will give them a proper read later. Huge thanks to the poster who lives nearby and has described exactly where the clinic is.

It’s confusing me when it becomes the 60. I assume I just continue straight ahead until it becomes the 62 again? Is there any merging to be done here?

Also, when coming back, is the run pretty much the same as the one going?

I’m a careful, competent driver when driving locally. I just find myself riddled with anxiety if I have to go long distances on unfamiliar roads. I don’t enjoy driving, but needs must!

There is a bit of merging OP - you have to move over either 1 or 2 right hand lanes at this point M60/M62

I really think you ought 2find a route you feel competent enough to do, you would be putting a lot of people in danger, not just you and your child

What about the East Lancs Rd route instead OP ? Takes longer but may be less stressful for you.

Meant as gently as possible- might be better if you don't do it, OP. It probably won't be quiet on a Saturday morning on the m60 section round north Manchester (Trafford centre traffic is awful), and if you're this anxious in advance, it's perfectly possible you'll get confused by the m60/m62 junctions.
Why not get the train and then a taxi up to New Hey Road? Will only be a 10-min journey from Huddersfield railway station. Plus that way you can enjoy the glorious Yorkshire countryside without being stuck behind the wheel.

I’ve managed to find a family friend to accompany me. He used to drive but doesn’t any more due to a health condition, but he was a confident driver for many years and often drove on motorways. I feel a bit better knowing I have someone else in the car with me now.

Regarding the Trafford Centre and the traffic there - I’ve always wanted to drive here, but never chanced it. I do feel like I need to bite the bullet, as i’d love the freedom to drive to Manchester etc.. Also, I have work that pops up at Media City occasionally and I always take the train and tram. Life would be so much easier if I could just drive there with confidence.