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.

It’s never bothered me, DH and I tend to have USA road trip holidays and we take day about driving (my mother was horrified when I said I’d be driving there) but we’ve done it several times with no issue.

Here we have family and friends up and down the country, I drive there, he drives home, we’ve gone to collect cars, one drives there we both drive home.

for many (and we live rurally) it’s a fear of the unknown, I kinda get it) an aquaintance used to go visit her Aunt in the north of England and just tuck in behind a truck in the slowest lane and stay there or use side roads that took hours longer.

Each to their own and so what you feel comfortable with, but personally it doesn’t bother me, single track with passing places or 6 lane highways overseas.

It's awful isn't it.

My satnav doesn't like Leeds. I used to live in Leeds but the road systems have changed so much since I left.

I drive everyday to work on narrow country lanes so I’m used to it. But motorways I get very anxious over to the point I avoid them. I can’t even be a passenger and yes it’s curtailed my life.

There are reasons as to why I feel this way and it’s certainly not down to gender.

Firstly, I saw a bad accident once on the M1 and read later the driver had died. I also have family friends whose young son died in an RTA on a motorway close to home. When I have driven on a motorway and even local dual carriage ways the tailgating and lack of indicating makes me feel an accident could easily happen that could result in someone’s death. I was once badly tailgated by a lorry when I had my 9month DD in the back seat which was quite scary. Reading on this thread that I need to just get off the motorway or even not drive at all is quite harsh in that respect.

As an extra point, we live in the SE and I’ve experienced a marked difference between the volume of traffic when in Yorkshire (M1)and in Kent (M25), with Kent being much more busy. !

Blooming heck I don’t know that area so I just streetviewed the road on reading this nooooooo. I am amazed you emerged safely. In the dark as well wtaf.

Give me the M1 any day of the week :)

Well cars should move over if they can, but it's up to the car merging to do so safely.

Basically on the slip road as soon as you join and start driving on it, you need to look at the traffic on motorway then you can judge where you can slot in and match your speed to theirs. Usually someone will create a gap for you by speeding up/slowing down when they see you merging, unless you're driving at something like 40 mph in which case it would be dangerous to let you in as they'd need to slow down significantly.

As soon as I passed my test I took an extra lesson with my instructor for Motorway driving and then got straight on it myself. It really gave me the confidence in it as it is scary at first and a few things he told me stick in my mind to this day. If you're nervous consider booking a lesson or two and say you want to conquer the unknown. Driving is a skill and gets better with practice.

I can assure you that the car park that is the M1 near Wakefield every morning is probably as busy as where you live.

I too have seen some horrific accidents on the motorway and, sadly, someone who has jumped from a bridge, but I am not going to let that rule my life to the point that I can't drive to work or pick up my daughter from university.

I just have to get on with it because there are no other options.

I didn’t realise it could be viewed on street view . I’m not sure I’m brave enough to have another look. I think it might give me nightmares!

errrrrm no thanks and I like driving! Maybe in the daytime but no way in the dark

A motorway slip is easy compared to some of the entries onto the A1. You pretty much have get from zero to 60mph in a blink of an eye.

Doesn’t bother me in the slightest tho I’m thankful for SatNav. Lord knows how we coped with road maps !

“Women are a bit more neurotic than men and a bit panicky”. Really? What a ridiculous statement. Speak for yourself but don’t assume the rest of us are like you.

The Italian ones are a bit hairy, but everywhere else is OK. Mind you I was taught by a Parisienne, so that driving style has a bit of oomph!

Yes always drive everywhere. I prefer motorways than lanes will drive in London which partner hates and pretty much any city in England. Never driven abroad yet though.

Plenty of people don’t be in motorways and don’t know how or middle lane hoggers.

I am suprised how many people aren’t comfortable driving in the motorway though. It’s generally easier. Straight line, easy visibility etc.

If people aren’t ‘comfortable’ and been driving for years, it’s concerning they’re getting behind the wheel in any scenario.

Prefer motorway and dual carriageway to urban driving tbh. Much easier, faster and less concerns about getting lost!

Bristol city centre is horrendous always the endless roadworks. I prefer park and ride.

Sat nav has been a game changer in my life though. In the 1980s my first thought was always "where the hell am I" while looking at maps. Only people my age will feel the pain. 😂

I’m with you on Leeds. I’ve only worked there for 25 years!

Barnsdale Bar?

I hate being a passenger so do all the driving and my husband sleeps. Motorways are just another road.

Near there!

Add Bradford, Sheffield and Liverpool to your list. Newcastle is a doddle.

My understanding is that if it's a motorway, you should match the speed of traffic on it, and hope that cars will either slow down or move over to let you in, and they usually do in the UK anyway.

My regular major road is the A30 however, where some joining lanes are motorway style and you merge, and some are A road style and you wait for a gap. And some very special ones seem like an amalgamation of the two and fuck knows what the correct procedure is (yes, looking at you Sourton Cross westbound 🙄)

I don’t live particularly near any motorways so don’t have to drive on them often but I can do it no problem. Growing up my Dad was a long distance lorry driver so he did all the driving so my mum had a 20 mile comfort zone that she could drive in no problem but couldn’t go to 21 miles. My dad died young and she really struggled to go anywhere for years. I drove from my home in Ayrshire into Glasgow city centre the day after I passed my driving test because I was determined not to be like my mum when it came to driving.

If my husband and I are going anywhere he tends to drive as he’s not a good passenger but I’ll drive anywhere I need to. For years I commuted from Ayrshire to the north end of Glasgow and still drive into Glasgow rather than get the train. I have a friend in Edinburgh and will drive to see her without thinking twice and a couple of years ago drove myself and the kids to Norfolk to visit family. It’s not
something I think about, I just get in the car and start driving.

I understand how people get stuck though. When I learned to drive in the early 00’s I learned and sat my test in my hometown which had a small roundabout at each end and a set of traffic lights in the middle. My instructor insisted all his pupils had a couple of longer lessons so we could go further afield and get experience on larger roundabouts and duel carriage ways but none of the others did. As a result I was confident on busier roads straight away but some of my friends took years to get used to it.

I don’t mind motorway driving and I’m quite accustomed to driving long distances (I live 500 miles from where I grew up) however I detest the M25 as the rules just seem to go out the window so I’m happier if my other half drives that bit. My mum however has never been a confident driver, didn’t learn til she was in her late 30s and now feels unable to even drive locally. I think confidence in your cognitive abilities and focus probably has a lot to do with how people feel about driving on motorways.