To think that motorway driving should be taught to learners before they pass their driving tests?

[NeonMuffin]

I've been driving for over ten years now and I've never driven on a motorway. I'm quite a confident driver otherwise, but the idea of driving on a motorway absolutely terrifies me. I'm not sure why as I'm aware that they are statistically the safest roads to use, I think maybe it's because there a three lanes instead of two and I know there are certain rules about undertaking etc that I don't really understand.

It's holding me back and I want to change it, I'm going to book a refresher course to boost my confidence. But it's made me think, why is motorway driving not taught as standard to learner drivers? Am I correct in saying that the UK is the only country in Europe where motorway driving is not part of the driving test? Why is this? Surely it's something that all drivers should learn?

AIBU? Surely this would make our roads safer?

After daughter passed her test we booked another 4 lessons solely for motorway driving experience. We also booked her on a winter driving course for 4 hours. It's very true what my old dad used to say "you don't actually learn to drive until you pass your test".

Just been googling advanced driving courses and they are expensive, but I think they'd be worth it. I'd feel much better having an instructor with me the first time I go on the motorway.

I passed my test 33 years ago in an area where there are no motorways and only a small dual carriageway with a 40mph limit. I did drive on motorways occasionally to get to airports/cities etc but having got married and moved to another area without motorways, I will admit that I now dread going on them - especially the M6 around Birmingham. Part of my problem is down to the fact that we only use motorways for long journeys and my DH tends to do all the driving then, so I lost a little confidence in long distance/motorway driving.

DS is currently learning to drive and again will have an hour's drive to get to a 3 lane motorway so a lesson with an instructor for that purpose will be expensive - although not as expensive as the poster who quoted £40ph - it is only £20 around here!!!

The nearest motorway to where I learnt to drive was about an hour away. However, to get there, you would drive along an A road with 2-3 lanes all the way along and a 70mph speed limit. I don't really understand what extra skills you would gain from spending an extra hour driving on the motorway?

I don't see why everyone should be made to have extra lessons because you do not understand the highway code.

I don't have a problem driving on motorways or A roads- they are the easiest bits of driving! I find parking in a busy city much more challenging!

No motorways in Cornwall.

Mitchy1nge I was 'chuntering' that you said learners probably aren't allowed to go over the speed limit, which suggested to me that you felt non learners (including yourself) are allowed to do so. Which they blatantly aren't. I was not the only person that picked you up on this.

You then said that it would take a much shorter time to travel a set distance than estimated by google. While there is usually some variation, I've personally always found google maps to be pretty accurate in distance time. If anything I've always found it underestimates. I've certainly never travelled any distance in nearly half the recommended time, as you state, and think that anybody who does do so must be going dangerously fast.

Back to the thread - I agree that actually motorway driving isn't particularly hard, and that it is joining/making room on slip roads to get onto them that is the hard part.

Also, I agree that it must be a PITA for people that live miles away from a motorway to drive to practice on one, but driving for long journeys is also a specialised 'type' of driving that you probably won't experience on a 40 minute pre test lesson. Could be a good idea to combine both of these?

ok, it just made me smile to imagine anyone being scared of the mighty Ka on the roads or that creeping much above 70 would be insanely dangerous

I probably wildly underestimated how long it takes me, would explain why am always late for everything

Try living in Shetland: it's a 17 hour ferry, plus at here hour drive to the nearest motorway.

I don't think you've thought the whole "that's your issue" thing through OP.

A three, not At here. Bloody iPad.

I've thought a lot about how we should have 2 step licences.

1st step: Your regular driving lessons followed by test. If you pass then you get a "step 1" licence. Means you can drive anywhere but motorways (unless doing step 2)

2nd step: motorway driving lessons followed by test. Passing means getting your full licence.

This way anyone who doesn't want to, doesn't need to or lives nowhere near a motorway can just do step 1. Those who do, can continue to step 2.

Maybe that sounds too easy though and in reality would be too complicated & not work.

Motorway driving is really no different to driving on a dual carriageway A road. Being unfamiliar with rules regarding lanes and undertaking is pretty unforgivable to be honest - it is just the same as any dual carriageway. Stay in the inside lane unless you're overtaking. Don't drive in an outside lane if there's nothing in the lane inside you - move back in once you have overtaken. I had to drive on a motorway a couple of weeks after passing my test for the first time and I was alone. It was fine - I treated it like any other road. If you're not confident then do the pass plus course, but as long as people are taught to drive on a dual carriageway there really shouldn't be any problems.

I think what you call the motorway we call the highway (or interstate, or freeway, or expressway, depending on where you live). That was part of my standard driver's education when I was 16, but from the sounds of some of the other posts, highways aren't as prevalent in the UK as they are here. I don't know of anywhere in my state where you would have to travel an hour to reach a highway, let alone multiple hours.

Driving on the highway is actually a lot easier, IMO, than on regular roads. It's mostly straight and flat, you just have to get used to the speed. Here, the legal speed is 65 MPH, but you will get run over if you go that slowly on the highway. Most people go 75-80. OP, I think the best way to get over your fear is just to do it.

I'm really glad I took my pass plus, as it was useful to have a few hours dedicated to motorway driving, and be guided through how to do it properly. Where there is an appropriate opportunity, it would be good if professional instructors gave lessons to competent learners due to take their tests. Somehow, I doubt that the motorway is full of people that lived too far from people with easy access to one. However the motorway is full of people that don't reach appropriate speeds for slip roads, don't follow lane discipline and appropriate distances.

I honestly don't see what makes motorway driving any more of a special case than driving at night, or driving in difficult weather conditions, or on rural roads. I agree that these are all skills that we possibly only get to develop once we have passed our tests but we should have the foundations in place from learning to drive surely? If there's an aspect of driving that we are uncomfortable about then by all means get practice or further training but I don't think a special test for motorway driving or compulsory lessons should be at all necessary.

I learned to drive around Dartmoor and as a result was more experienced at driving on rural roads, in harsh weather conditions, with hill starts the norm etc. I had friends visit from uni who would be gripping the door handle in the passenger seat as we drove, perfectly safely, past other cars - I had to reassure them that I was in fact perfectly familiar with the width of my car and that this was normal for me, to drive on roads with fewer markings and set spaces for road users.

I knew the motorway rules about lane discipline and so on and had been on a dual carriageway so motorways, although a bit nerve-wracking the first time, weren't that big a deal, no more than any new driving experience.

I suppose what I'm trying to say is that motorway driving is just one aspect of driving that might be considered step 2, but it's no more special than any other aspect of driving that we are unfamiliar with when we pass our tests. I lost friends on rural roads, but have never lost anyone in a motorway accident.

But Tinkerbell that presupposes thsy motorway driving is uniquely difficult and dangerous and completely unlike any other form of driving when it really isn't.

Motorways are no more difficult than dual carriageways. If you can cope with driving on a dual carriageway - which can have roundabouts, and traffic actually crossing you - then a motorway is certainly not any more complicated than that.

Anyone who doesn't understand how to use lanes ought to read through their Highway Code to refresh their memory. Drive on the left. Move to the right if you can do so safely to overtake, then move back in again. Same if you have 3, 2, or even just 1 lane to work with.

If you cant drive on a motorway, or if you cant complete all aspects of driving, you should not have a licence. I include ALL types of parking in this as well !

DP has just got his driving licence and almost immediately had to drive me and 2 dc 150 miles on 3 motorways

The motorway bit is fine, switching between them is harder and slow traffic on the M25. But if you just get on and do it you'll be confident in no time.