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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To be really terrified about driving on the motorway for the first time today?

46 replies

navygravy · 27/05/2016 08:24

Just me and the DCs, straight after school driving 100 miles to the coast?

Oh hell, I really should have gone out for a practice.

The roads are going to be really busy, I've never done a motorway slip road before and I feel a bit sick about it.

:(

OP posts:
BitOutOfPractice · 27/05/2016 09:10

Sorry, brod.

Voteforpedr0 · 27/05/2016 09:21

Just go for it and you'll never look back, honestly I through myself in at the deep end and within 4 weeks of driving i was doing loads of motorways. Always keep a safe distance between the car in front and be aware and alert, keep up with the speed of the road if it says 70 then do 70 if it says 70 but most other vehicles are doing 60 then drop down similary look out for x which means lane closed ect. Don't over take if you don't feel confident and gradually build up your motorway journeys by doing one every week. Enjoy your afternoon out.

WaitrosePigeon · 27/05/2016 09:21

Ok, I understand. Keep calm, ok? Stay in the slowest lane, keep the car cool and watch out for your blind spot.

Voteforpedr0 · 27/05/2016 09:22

*Threw not through

firesidechat · 27/05/2016 09:22

As TiredOfSleep said it's very similar to driving on a dual carriage and the joining is very much the same. I feel much safer on a motorway than a country lane and I suspect the statistics will back me up.

Once you have joined the motorway for the first time, you can breath again and enjoy the ride. You don't even need to change lanes if you don't want to and can just mosey along in the inside lane. Bet you are changing lanes like a pro within minutes though . Smile

Voteforpedr0 · 27/05/2016 09:23

Oh and as waitrose just mentioned don't just rely on mirrors check your blind spot too

Bolograph · 27/05/2016 09:24

The main problem I've seen, as someone who commuted daily on one of the busiest motorways in Europe for fifteen years, is that on high days and holidays there were people who didn't realise that cars can accelerate and brake. So on a free-flowing motorway, they aren't able to match their speed even to Lane 1 before they start to run out of sliproad, and they try to slow down to leave the motorway far in advance of when they need to. And if for any reason they have to lift slightly, they're then in far too high a gear to continue to accelerate to either have to change down (and nervous drivers don't change down to accelerate) or continue slowly.

But when more recently I was in the passenger seat permanently in the brace position of a car driven by someone who had recently passed their test, I could see why. In a small-ish car, they were changing up ludicrously early: as soon as they could hear the engine, pretty much, up they shifted, so they were in 5th by the time they were doing about 45. So (a) they spent all their time on the slip road changing up (b) they were using the least effective part of the rev range (c) they were nervous of the car and (d) they had no idea of what the rev counter meant. I drive autos, so don't have this problem, but on the occasions I drive manuals (and I did commute in a 1.0l Metro for a couple of weeks back in the day), I don't redline the car in every gear, but I run it up to the point where it's obviously losing power, which will be probably within 1000rpm of the red line (on a petrol, diesels will vary).

When I used to see nervous drivers crawling down the sliproad, I now know they were probably thrashing with the gear level and clutch to get their small car into fifth by the time they were half way down it, and then wondering why they can't accelerate. It's perfectly safe to run a car up towards the red line (and most cars now have a limiter to stop you going over it, and various mapping hacks to discourage you from getting too close). Accelerating onto a 70mph road in a loaded small car is going to involve using all the power the car has.

The same applies, mutatis mutandis, to slowing down: it's perfectly OK, and indeed safer, to on a free flowing motorway swing onto the slip (assuming you can see to the end of it) at 70mph and then brake. You don't need to be slowing down in Lane 1 to turn off a motorway, in normal conditions.

Accelerate smartly onto the slip. Slow down on the slip coming off. It's OK to rev the engine. It's OK to use the brakes.

HostaFireandIce · 27/05/2016 09:26

This was me a few months ago! Passed my test a couple of years ago, but had never got round to driving on a motorway, not because I was scared to, but just never found the time to do a practice, then I had to do it on my own and realised by then that I was a bit scared! It was an absolute doddle, honestly. I even overtook stuff, having vowed to stay in the inside lane behind the lorries ;)

BuggerLumpsAnnoyed · 27/05/2016 09:28

I've recently passed and had the same fears, but now I love motor ways! I feel much safer than on the country roads round here. You'll settle into it, I promise!since passing a few months ago I've done several motor way journeys alone with the kids and its honestly fine. I prefer it to with DH has he wants to go much faster than I like.

WaitrosePigeon · 27/05/2016 21:42

How did it go OP?

DanyellasDonkey · 27/05/2016 22:05

Don't think I could drive on a busy motorway again. Years of living in a place with no motorways within about 200 miles has made me terrified of the prospect. Luckily I never need to drive on one

navygravy · 06/06/2016 18:37

Hello folks - it was FINE! Grin

Thanks for reassurance.

It was less stressful than wending my way through the double-parked Victorian streets near me.

I overtook and EVERYTHING

Flowers
OP posts:
19lottie82 · 06/06/2016 18:52

Well done Navy!

Imogenj · 06/06/2016 19:47

OP, you'll be fine - don't avoid it and feed your Anxiety!

Here's Rule 259 of the Highway Code:

Joining the motorway. When you join the motorway you will normally approach it from a road on the left (a slip road) or from an adjoining motorway. You should

give priority to traffic already on the motorway (stop if you have to, it's not your right of way, don't drift)
check the traffic on the motorway and match your speed to fit safely into the traffic flow in the left-hand lane
not cross solid white lines that separate lanes or use the hard shoulder
stay on the slip road if it continues as an extra lane on the motorway
remain in the left-hand lane long enough to adjust to the speed of traffic before considering overtaking.

Imogenj · 06/06/2016 19:49

Just seen you've already done it. Top marks Sterling Moss ;)

Queenbean · 06/06/2016 22:04

Bolograph your post is a bit smug but as a learner driver, very helpful Grin

MariposaUno · 06/06/2016 23:23

Yanbu to have nerves, only 2 week's after I passed my test I bought my first car and had to drive it on a motorway the nerves were horrific and I avoided for a few weeks but after that I'm never off them.

Just breath when you get nerves and don't sweat the small stuff.

enterYourPassword · 07/06/2016 04:17

The biggest thing you have to look for is the blind spot when moving to another lane. Usually you'd check it before turning left (for cyclists) but it's there for longer when moving lanes.

read this

Otherwise, yes, you're being unreasonable as motorway driving is easy.

You don't have to drive at 70 and perhaps maybe shouldn't. There'll be other vehicles doing 50-60 so drive with them and relax.

Don't panic about junctions. If you miss it, keep going. It's better to go too far and go back than make a dangerous maneuver.

Music distracts us all more than you think so when needing to enter, exit or maneuver, mute the stereo for a minute. It's the reason most of us turn it off when we're lost!

FoxyLoxy123 · 07/06/2016 08:13

Yay well done!

I use dual carriageways that are insanely busy most days and the worst bit is like the other poster said when people go so slowly they can't accelerate at a decent pace and cause a backlog on the slip or the whole lane to slow down. Definitely leave yourself space. I normally go round a bend of a slip in second and put my foot down in third, only going to fourth when I've joined. Oh and sometimes people get right up your backside on a slip but I leave myself enough space in front so I can really put my foot down. If you're really close you can't and it makes it a lot harder/less safe.

We have a lot of tiny slip roads on and off though. It's a bugger where I am.

enterYourPassword · 07/06/2016 08:36

Well done OP. Easy eh?

"Definitely leave yourself space. I normally go round a bend of a slip in second and put my foot down in third"

I do that too but that's because I love the sound of my V8 Smile

IamtheDevilsAvocado · 07/06/2016 08:38

Well done OP! It's always a bit alarming the first motorway trip! You're dead right about avoidance feeding the anxiety.... I once worked with a colleague who was 2 years post test : despite lots of encouragement from everyone :

She wouldn't :
Go on motorways/dual carriageways... /narrow roads where she may have to pull in/reverse... Oh and yes she would never, ever do a right turn....so would do increasingly tortuous routes to avoid this...

It was so limiting!

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