How are you with driving on the motorway?

[bumchic]

There are a few journeys locally which are sometimes much quicker if I go in the motorway for a couple of junctions but it’s so unpredictable I always try and avoid it.

BUT I do all the driving on long family journeys including abroad and am fine with it.

My mum on the other hand outright refuses to drive on the motorway and always has. The idea of her driving on a long trip eg when we were kids was absolutely out of the question. I have friends like this now too - they see long journeys as a man’s job.

I have to admit that DH tends to drive on family trips. He hates being driven.... unless he has had a drink!

I love motorway driving. I'd love to have a bylaw that says if you use the terms 'fast' or 'slow' lane, you shouldn't be allowed to drive on them as there is no such thing.

I do a bit over half of the driving, because I like it more. Motorways, and have also driven on motorways in quite a few European countries (the further south you get, the crazier the driving, yes, Italy I’m looking at you…).

but know quite a few people even my (40s) where the default driver is the man in the couple.

Give me a motorway over A&B roads on a long journey any day of the week (as long as it's flowing!)

I'm generally a confident driver. The only thing that phases me is busy and complicated junctions near or in London where the style of driving is very much London driving. I don't mean it in a snobbish or any kind of judgemental way, but the way people drive in London is different to the way people drive in most of the country. Even in other cities.

In my view, they’re the easiest form or driving. Minimal steering, everyone is going to the same way and you don’t have to do much for may miles.

One bit of advice I was given though - plan ahead for your exit off a motorway and if you do miss it or look likely to, just keeping going to the next junction. Never try to remedy it at speed.

Motorways are so much easier than country lanes or parking manoeuvres.

Im not incompetent, been driving 25 years and never had an accident. But I avoid motorways if I can as I find the driving behaviors of a lot of other motorists downright scary in a way that I don’t see on a and b roads.

I've driven on motorways and it's okay. It's just more lanes and more idiots to keep an eye on, it's also a bit more daunting because there is a lot more to pay attention to, including dangerous driving behaviour which increases with more people around you anyway.

I can see from a point of confidence that it would be considered a man's job. Women are a bit more neurotic than men and are a bit more panicky. I speak from experience as I'm much more neurotic than my husband is behind the wheel, although I've got much better with more driving time. The only exception to which I've seen is Sabine Schmitz (may she RIP), but she was a seasoned professional driver who grew up around the Nurburgring, so with all her knowledge and experience, she made an impression on men with driving in more dangerous settings.

In contrast, my FIL is a bit of a nervous wreck with driving and MIL thinks his driving is horrible as a result. She hates it when he gets behind the wheel 😂

I can see the appeal of country roads over motorways; lots of twists and turns instead of endless lines, harsh lights and tunnels. Just thinking about that is making me nod off. So boring.

Love motorway driving. I can pop the adaptive cruise control on and the car will share the work load.

Motorway driving is much less tiring than driving on A roads.

I’m in my mid 70s. I do a lot of driving visiting family and far prefer motorways.

Been driving for 45 years and I've never driven on a motorway. Not going to start now.

I’ll drive on whatever road takes me to my destination, wouldn’t cross my mind to avoid particular types of roads. I’d also never go anywhere if I thought it was a “man’s job”. How primitive.

Absolutely fine. I do a small stretch pretty much every day and longer ones maybe 10-15 times a year. My mum at 77 is still quite happy on the motorway too.

I am on both tiny country lanes and motorway to go anywhere at all. Both fine. The only bit of driving in the UK I find stressful is an unfamiliar town with a complex and badly signed one-way system.

yep, use them daily to go to work. Would rather nip on for 2 junctions than go around, so much quicker.

That said it is a smart motorway which are far more dangerous, had a fair few near misses & nobody seems to drive in the inside lane if they can help it

Pretty good but I also have two female friends my age (50) who avoid motorway driving. I'm not quite sure how as we live right near the M25. It means they go on alternative routes which are stupidly inconvenient. I think I'd pay for some advanced driving lessons and bite the bullet myself.

Women who see driving as 'a man's job' and who won't drive on this or that type of road or on this or that type of journey drive me crazy. No wonder there is so much sexist nonsense around that the rest of us have to deal with when some women have this pathetic learned helplessness. I drive on motorways, I drive abroad, I'll drive anywhere and in anything, as does my DH and neither of us expects anything less. I can't imagine being so pathetic as to be otherwise!

Do you mind me asking why you havent' ever driven on a motorway? Just never needed to, or actively avoided them?

I love motorway driving and do all the long journeys while DH sits and nods off in the passenger seat. He's a terrible driver, tbh, and I don't relax at all when he's driving. My Mum on the other hand has never driven on a motorway. Point blank refuses and my Dad and later my stepdad have always driven for her. It's probably best for the general population that she hasn't to be fair

I'm a single mum so I drive everywhere. Any kind of road, here and abroad.

I've driven a big 4x4 in the Rockies in snow and a camper van around Canada. I drive minibuses at work. I have a full m/c licence as well.

It wouldn't occur to me not to drive anywhere.

I enjoy driving and actually like twisty country lanes and more challenging roads. I find motorways monotonous but obviously realise they are an important means to an end. They aren't necessarily the quickest option either if you factor in delays and accidents. I'd rather drive 20 miles extra and keep moving than be stuck in a jam. If I'm going on holiday I almost always use the non-motorway route as I think the scenery and places of interest en route are all part of the enjoyment.

Why?

I always used to be fine with motorway driving, fine with driving abroad, use to drive to London, I even drove when we hired a car in Iceland in January. Lately though, I hate it.

I don’t live in an area with motorways, the most we have is about half a mile of dual carriageway so I don’t do it that often. The last time I drove on a motorway was about a year ago and I got a bit flustered.

I don't often have to drive on motorways - so I try and make the effort to when I am near one, so I don't lose the skill. Though I was very very relieved the other week driving down from Scotland to Liverpool that I swapped with DH at the border as the heavens opened and it poured down - so many lorries and so many bad drivers!

I used not to worry at all about driving and I can feel an anxiety starting to come in as I reach my 60s and I'm trying to fight it.....

Exactly. I used to work with a woman that refused to drive on motorways. Not just that, she wouldn’t turn right at T junctions, so would drive 3x as far to avoid having to do so.

Absolutely pathetic.

I live 200 miles from the nearest motorway. If we go on holiday we take the train to Glasgow or Edinburgh airport.

It's just driving, on a different kind of road.

Deploy Highway Code, common sense and alertness accordingly.