Is it weird to stay off the motorways?

[chessica]

I will preface this and say I’m a relatively experienced driver and often use the car to pop to the supermarket, local shopping centre, train station etc

I don’t like motorways, haven’t used them as a driver in about 12 months possibly longer. We do live 5 minutes from several, but I can also take A/B roads to get to where I need to be usually only takes 10 minutes or so longer.

I am put off them as we have a lot of smart motorways nearby, and as a passenger when DH is driving I have noticed some awful driving around us. People on their mobiles doing 60, people texting in motorway traffic, people merging and then failing to accelerate and those who change their minds at the last minute and cut across two lanes of traffic at speed so they don’t miss their exit junction. Seems like fewer and fewer drivers leave the correct gap, you see them all up ahead following so closely & worse when there’s spray and rainy conditions. I know statistically they are safer, but surely not when everyone’s doing 60-80mph and many people not paying attention or leaving themselves enough space

Does anyone else avoid motorways altogether?

I avoid them for the same reasons you give

Nope, i don't avoid any types of road if i need to use them, and its the quickest route to where i need to go.

I loathe motorway driving but unfortunately live very near the M1 and have to do a lot of it for work. If there's a similar length route that avoids the motorway (talking about up to 20 mins time difference) and I've got the time to spare - I'll likely avoid the motorway, especially since the alternative drives to where I have to get to are usually nice runs through Sherwood Forest or similar - but likewise, height of summer on a CenterParcs change over day... I'll avoid that route and go down the M1 with gritted teeth.

I go via the quickest route and I’m not much fussed about which these roads are.

However we don’t have smart motorways in these parts so I can’t comment on that particular pleasure!

Motorways are statistically the safest roads. I happily use them for long distance trips and on weekday commutes when everyone tends to know how to drive.

But if I'm doing local journeys, especially at weekends, I don't bother because the entries and exits can be busy and the idiot drivers are out. And I agree about not so smart motorways.

No I don’t avoid motorways, I use them as they are the quickest and most direct route for some journeys I need to take.
So I suppose yes, I’d find it weird to purposefully avoid them, they don’t seem more dangerous to me than the A roads near me.

I had to drive Brighton To Newcastle recently for a family emergency. I'd never driven more than two hours straight before so it was quite daunting. I did it though, mainly in the fast lane as tbh, it seemed safer. I averaged 80 and felt absolutely fine. Many people went faster than that and of course I got out the way to let them go. When the middle lane was clear I'd go there, I didn't hog the outside at all, but driving in the 'slow' lane with all the lorries and many manoeuvres felt scary and stressful. The return journey was a lot easier too.

I think Motorways are scary at first, but once you've overcome those nerves and had practice, they are the easiest roads to drive. Up to you if you want to overcome the fear, but the only way is doing it! I will say it's much easier in a newer/more powerful car, it can be a bit scary if you're driving a 1 litre banger as you just haven't got the power to overtake safely.

Can’t really avoid them as have to do regular journeys from SE to Yorkshire and Wales, but you’re not wrong about the standard of driving, it is appalling. Both my DDs have been driving for about a year and a half and they both use motorways regularly, and I always worry about them - not because of their driving but because of other people, and quite a stretch of ‘smart’ motorways near us too. I have a friend who owns an airport cars company and so he and his drivers are back and forth to Gatwick/Heathrow/Stanstead a few times a day, he is of the opinion that the standard of driving on the roads in general, but particularly motorways, has really declined over about the last two years. Not sure why that might be but I certainly agree.

I live in Scotland, so my nearest motorway is wonderful - low traffic and no speed cameras. Practically empty at night. I love it. Without it, it would take me forever to get to my daughters in Edinburgh via very slow tourist routes meandering through villages.

Nope. Average speed is 85-90 mph. Until people learn to stick to speed limits I'm not about to put my family at risk by sharing a road with so many idiots.

I used to avoid them but then my new
job entailed using one (or adding an extra 30 mins a day of driving quite a cross country trek) so I made myself do it. It was scary to start with but after a few weeks it became easy peasy and I feel silly for wasting all
that time driving around back roads to avoid the motorway

There are no motorways where I live so it's a bit of an adjustment when I visit my parents and need to use them. I find them very easy though.

The roads in my county are mainly country lanes and single carriageways. Saying that, I've literally just been pulled over for going over an amber traffic light by a policeman who must have been 18 at a push!

Motorways are statistically the safest roads but, if you're not comfortable driving on them and are able to avoid them, then there's no harm in that.

I've been driving for more than 20 years and can count on one hand the number of times I've driven on a motorway. I hate them!

I'll take motorways over a dual carriageway any day. There's always some twit doing 50 in lane one of a dual carriageway, thinking how safe and sensible the are, while traffic bunches up behind them as lorries try to overtake at 55 in lane two.

I use motorways to get where I need to reasonably regularly. I hate the M25 but live south of it and my family north so that’s regularly used.

I personally believe single carriageway A roads are more dangerous. Seem to hear of too many head on collisions, that worries me more than motorways.

Buy yourself a two-hour professional lesson frrom a driving school, on motorway driving.

I don't know about 'weird' but it sounds limiting.

I try not to do things that limit my life, if I can help it.
However, I suspect there are quite a lot of people that do avoid motorways.

I can drive on motorways, I’m concerned about others who use them

I use motorways without worrying but if there’s a route that takes the same amount of time without the motorway then I use that for similar reasons

Honestly, motorways are just as easy as dual and triple carriageways. This fear of them is really just feeds itself out of control.

Have a go on a quieter motorway later at night and take it from there

Give me a motorway any day. Much prefer them to any other type of road, especially country lanes. To me they are far more dangerous.

No.

Motorways are statistically the safest form of road transport.

If you have a problem with them, then you are the issue and I suggest you find some form of advanced training if that's what you need to deal with them.

Sorry just saw your update
Do you not worry about other drivers on other roads?
Any reason just motorway drivers? (Which are the exact same drivers that use other roads)

I do but feel more in control as speeds are usually slower.