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.

Doesn't bother me at all ... though motorways with no lights on, after dark, in the rain, not too keen.

I drive through France regularly, sometimes alone. The driving is easier, fewer cars, better roads. The periphique is challenging but fine if, like me, you are a London driver.

I hate the M11 - worst driving I have ever seen on that road.

Women of my mother's age, 89 seem most afflocted with the "ooh, it's a man's job". Mother's car is 20 years old, less than 10k on the clock.

As I get older, I genuinely find night driving harder.

I'm a decent driver, but don't like motorway driving. I try to avoid it. I can drive long distances.
I think it's the speed, trucks and risk of harm. I feel like an accident at motorway speeds is more likely to be serious because of the speeds and size of surrounding vehicles. I really don't like driving around so many trucks, I feel vulnerable.
I know I need to deal with it. I like most other driving. I'm thinking about taking an advanced driver course to get over it.

Oh amd I don't think it's a man's job! I'm also nervous passenger on motorways.

I wonder if the fear people have is because you don’t learn to drive on one. After all they are just like dual carriageways but with better sign posts and toilet stops.

First time I ever drove on a real motorway ( here in NI ours are just two lanes ) , I drove Liverpool to London and the second time, London to Scotland - and I loved it. Had only been driving 5 years at the time so it was daunting , especially the M25 , but I actually loved the experience

Our motorways here are just so stressful being just two lanes and lane hoggers sitting in the outside. Means there's some terrible driving with people over taking on the inside and weaving in and out

I did go through a stage when I was finding myself getting nervous behind the wheel around my late 50's , but that was part of the general anxiety that came with the menopause

I'm fine with motorways, although they're not my favourite part of driving. I have 3 friends, all around my age (64) who won't drive on motorways so it takes them ages to get anywhere. One won't go onto big roundabouts either so she's very limited.

All driving can be unpredictable. Thats why we're taught to DRIVE ACCORDINGLY.

its not difficult.

Thats you then, not "women"

Hahahaha. Tell that to the motorcyclist who overtook me IN THE FAST LANE AS I WAS OVERTAKING A LORRY BY GOING BETWEEN ME AND THE BARRIER somewhere in Western France 😬. I also find the French and Spanish don't tend to move over for traffic joining from a slip road as much.

I will drive on motorways if I have to, but don't enjoy it at all. It's a horrible mix of monotony and terror. Often the only thing that keeps me going on a long drive is seeing lovely countryside and interesting stuff, and you tend not to get that with motorways. Plus, the varying traffic hazards, speed limits, navigation etc on A roads/ routes nationales tend to keep me sharp- on a motorway it's possible to fall into a bit of a dangerous trance I find.

This might be partially due to the fact that I learnt to drive in London, and now live somewhere nearly 100 miles from the nearest motorway. I'm genuinely happiest on tiny country lanes, and would challenge any of the "How could you possibly be so pathetic as not to enjoy motorway driving?" crew to a reversing contest up a winding 7ft wide lane with grass growing down the middle of it 😆

I’m a confident driver, will go anywhere. I know 2 women who won’t drive on motorways. It baffles me as it restricts their lives , one in particular quite a bit.

My MIL wouldn’t drive on a dual carriageway, motorway or single track. Fortunately she no longer drives 😮‍💨 but does like to comment on everyone else’s ‘bad’ driving from the passenger seat.

Motorways are much easier than A roads which may have traffic lights, roundabouts or other things to navigate, unless of course there is gridlocked traffic on the motorway, then it's worse because you can't exit until the next junction.

On the whole I do prefer a motorway

Women are less likely to crash than a man, so women are actually better at that specific job than men are.

I don't mind motorways, have driven abroad on them too and it's fine. The freeways in America could be a bit hairy as generally people are less forgiving/drive up your ass/change lanes on a whim! The road safety standards in this country are actually fantastic, by global standards.

Motorways are fine, as soon as I passed my test, I got straight out onto them. I was wanting to travel to dog agility shows at the time which was a main motivator. I still don't mind driving on them now.

My old job I drove about 80k miles a year. Mostly motorway.
Sadly since menopause I just can't do it. Menopause seemed to affect my brain and I developed a kind of seasickness/dizzy feeling at high speeds and it made me scared to be on the motorway. I get the sensation when partner drives too, and it's slightly less at night.

I still drive, I just don't drive anywhere fast. Tootling around town is fine and feel safe. Apparently menopause can affect driving, another thing it bloomin ruins.

I'd drive anywhere to be honest in the UK. My partner tended to do long drives so I'd got a bit out of practice with motorways. However, I've recently changed jobs and now am on them a couple of times a week and I'm glad as it's boosted my confidence again.
I'll drive abroad too if I have to ..actually motorways are easier lol. Busy cities I leave to partner but he lived in several other countries so is used to it.

I am quite happy on a motorway. We live about 2 miles from the A1M so go on it quite a bit.
Not a massive fan of single track roads but if there's one there i use it, as a pp says it's off putting when there's an arsehole behind you who knows the road better than you.
I do have a friend who won't go on motorways but is quite happy that she has a nickname like "hasty Hamilton. Not that name but similar. She thinks it's funny that she's done 2 speeding courses and how quick she can get places. Personally I think she's an incompetent driver.

I’ll happily drive on motorways but my partner always drives when we go out together. I’ve no idea why, we just automatically go to his car. I’m happy with that. It saves me a fortune in fuel!

As far as I am aware driving doesn't require the use of genitalia of any kind therefore is not a gendered role.

Absolutely fine I've been doing it for 43 years in the UK and abroad.
I'm 64. Its much easier than trying to negotiate country lanes in the dark.
I don't have a husband so I guess it's do it or stay at home.
Neither of my siblings will drive on the motorway they expect their husbands to drive but it's 2026 not 1920 so we ought to be independant.
I cringe inside when another woman tells me her husband drives them everywhere.
Up until 2024 I rode motorbikes on the motorway as well. I don't ride any more because I'll destroy my hip replacement if I fall off.

I don’t see it as a man’s job and had always drove everywhere. But the past few years I’ve stopped and I have real fear of the motorway now. I’d rather never go on it at all. Not sure where it came from, but the slip roads scare the heck out of me.

I did wonder if it was menopause related? I don’t know how but it is affects every other bloody thing

I’m menopausal and have no concerns about driving. I’m not keen on the newer , brighter headlights but neither are most people I know.

I've been driving for 40 years and was driving on our local dual carriageways at 70 before I passed my test. As I live in the South East surrounded by motorways and fast-moving (sometimes) dual carriageways, I have always used them and they hold no fear for me. I also drove in London a lot in the 1990s, but don't now as public transport is so much easier. I'll do country lanes too, but they are not my preference.

If I need to get somewhere then I use Motorways and other fast roads as much as possible.

My mileage went down from the Covid period as I stopped going to an office or travelling for work. Recently I have started to increase my mileage again and will be doing even more when I retire in the Spring and are no longer stuck at home working.

When I travel with my DH he does prefer to drive and if it is under 2 hours, I let him, as I like being a passenger and can catch up with friends whilst he drives. Over 2 hours and we would share the driving with a nice coffee stop to break up the journey.

I also drive outside of the UK, although I don't like driving in big US cities and leave that to DH, or use UBER.

It has never occurred to me that I shouldn't drive on certain roads, and my DC that can drive are the same. My DM (when she was driving) would also use whatever road was needed.