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.

No, far too scared now. Used to drive all the time on motorways back in my twenties but had a couple of incidents with panic attacks and can’t now. My other half hates the fact he has to drive everywhere .

DH has had to give up driving for medical reasons and I need to be able to drive DD to and from university and go to work, both of which require a lot of motorway driving. I'm used to it. I don't want to be that person who makes life difficult by not being able to do this.

I find the more you do something the easier it is. I mainly drive on the M1 and M62.

Maybe those that don’t like driving should use google for navigation. My car has sat nav built in but I now use apple play so I can use google instead. Bloody brilliant at avoiding traffic and which lanes to be in. I even use it on familiar routes just so I know if there are accidents and incidents ahead (and yes I do also report them on google to help others).

As for motorway driving being boring, surely that’s when you crank up the volume of your favourite radio channel (80s music of course 😁)

I'll happily drive on motorways or anywhere really, I had a motorway commute for years. I work on design of roads and MN has been a revelation to me as too how anxious some of us are about driving. I've perhaps been lucky not to have had a scary experience or accident, though, there are plenty of other things that make me anxious.

I also prefer motorways- straighter and safer.

I don't like motorway driving, and yes I feel the same about multi lane dual carriageway.
I prefer quieter roads with 40mph or less speed limits. I manage ok, and don't see how it affects others to an extent that they would have strong feelings towards me for it.
My DH loves driving.
I like trains so am happy to use those, surely it's personal choice. Pretty much every day there is a serious accident on the motorways near me.

I live about an hour’s drive from our closest motorway so don’t need to do it much, but I will do it. I feel more comfortable on the quieter roads where we live because that’s what I’m used to I suppose!
I don’t enjoy driving much in general so DH usually drives when we go anywhere like on holiday because he doesn’t mind

Love motorway driving. No
pedestrians or cyclists and easier to overtake

my mum was the same (she doesn’t drive at all now) she used to sit on her arse like the Queen Mother whilst my dad did all the driving on holiday etc. she never ever
went on the motorway.

We split the driving on long journeys often my H does slightly more but I’ve frequently done long journeys on my own for work

it’s always women isnt it, when was the
last time you heard of a man too scared to
drive on a motorway

I used to barrel up and down motorways without a second thought, but I have found as I get older that I'm less keen to do it. There are some motorways I'm fine with (e.g the M3) and others less so (M1).

I have a fear of heights, particularly on bridges, so will always check beforehand if they form part of the motorway (eg the Severn Bridge or whatever it's called) and find a workaround if possible.

But I don't want to stop driving them altogether, because the more you do it the easier it is. I don't want to be the kind of woman who 'can't' drive on them. Having said that, DP is an advanced driver with the police, and ds1 loves driving and hates being a passenger, so if I go anywhere with either of them I become the passenger (and rather enjoy it, tbh).

I'd much rather drive than be driven. Most people are awful drivers.

Yes! Regular commuters know what they're doing. You can tell someone who isn't au fait with rush hour driving within seconds.

Another one that prefers the steering wheel , gear and handbrake in my hands on any terrain .

Completely fine with driving anywhere. The ability to drive is such a freedom and it would make me so sad if I ever lost that freedom. I think if I had a near miss, or another situation that caused me to think twice I would get straight back on the horse and if I felt I needed something more then I would book in for some advanced lessons to get my confidence back. If I couldn't drive on motorways I couldn't do my job and couldn't visit some of my friends and family - again, it's freedom and it's so important. I don't have a partner, but if I did I really would not feel right relying on them to do certain journeys. I do understand that there are some people have medical reasons why they can't drive, but that's different.

Hate it. Don’t do it. Happily do it in France but here joining the M25 fills me with terror. I work around it.

Yes, travel on Motorways regularly for work. I do get frustrated with some other drivers though like when you're on a slip road joining and they're in front of you driving at about 35mph...

Also people who switch lanes without indicating first. A lot indicate as they're switching lanes which is pointless. Oh and drivers who tailgate in busy traffic. Leave a stopping distance for the love of god!

When I passed my test I was encouraged to drive on Motorways by my Dad who preferred them and always said they're far easier, safer and more efficient and that made me see them as an advantage rather than something to fear.

I do it whenever I have to and wouldn’t ever avoid it unless I was avoiding having to go somewhere entirely but I hate it as I find it incredibly boring and find focusing difficult as journeys are so long and mundane. My passengers are always busy doing their own thing by on their phones etc so I don’t find anything makes it enjoyable.

dual carriageways have toilet stops

I think with driving you have to be confident and the only way to be confident is to keep doing it. The more you defer to someone else the more fearful you become. It’s why I won’t stop driving on all roads amongst other things as in my 50s I see a lot of people I know a generation ahead of me be scared to do so many things in life or defer to a man because they ‘know what they are doing’.

Not as many where I am unless you fancy stopping at the petrol station and 1. Hoping they have a toilet. 2. Hoping that it’s open and 3. Hoping it’s not flooded with pee. At least on motorway service stations they are open and generally clean (for women at least as my DH tells me the gents are often grim).

surely it's personal choice.

Not always, no @CurlyCoatedRetriever
DH has had to stop driving, and DD is at university. If I couldn't do any motorway driving we would be stuffed.

Mostly like motorway driving, but get fucking furious with middle lane twats. Lane weavers & up your chuffer cunts leaving 3 inches between me & them.

there was a poster a while ago moaning about joining the motorway and couldn’t understand why people were beeping at her because she NEVER speeds, on the motorway she sticks to 50mph. She absolutely wouldn’t have it that she was a danger.

Selfish, self absorbed, entitled, dangerous fuckers. Every single time.

Ah see never have a problem on A34 or the A46

Yes I used to travel those roads quite a lot and agree services stations are plentiful and clean. But alas I no longer travel that route anymore.

I happily drive on the motorway and frequently drive the 150 miles from home to visit my son and family. I’m 71 and haven’t had a man in my life for a very long time. If I had I certainly wouldn’t be leaving the driving to him 😊

I think I prefer motorway driving to driving in and around a town. I don’t drive to my local city as I can go for £3.50 on the train and it’d cost me £10-11 to park for a few hours.

I like a bit of tricky driving: Hard Knott and Wrynose Pass in the Lakes. I also drove up to Cilaos in Reunion and Selazie (?) . Felt like the Top Gear team.