To think I won't kill someone if I drive like this without lessons?

[RealPill]

I passed my test. When I get my car in a few weeks, the first major trip I want to take is from Bedfordshire to Essex. AIBU to think I won't kill someone if I drive on the motorway without any lessons?

My instructor said I should really think carefully before attempting a motorway on my own, and has strongly advised some motorway lessons.

I thought the only tricky thing would be merging on from a slip road... Otherwise should be fine, just follow the SatNav and road signs, and stay in the first lane at 60/65mph.

Maybe I am bonkers... I've spoke to a few friends and they said they just drove on motorways without any lessons for them. But they all passed years ago so maybe things were different

Having motorway lessons seems to be a thing these days.

Because motorways are busier than they used to be.
Because standards of motorway driving are worse than ever.
Because junctions are more likely to be complicated now.

I never had a motorway lesson, but that was 40 years ago and around here, motorways were very quiet and simple.

My son passed his test last Summer - he had a motorway lesson soon afterwards with his instructor and it really gave him confidence, not only on motorways, but on dual carriageways too.

I am an observer with our local advanced motorists group - motorway driving is part of the advanced driving test. I've been on motorway practice runs with very experienced drivers who've been abysmal on the motorway and needed A LOT of support to get them even to a safe standard, let alone advanced standard. It is very clear that they'd not had motorway lessons as many didn't have a clue.

But even with all that, motorways are still the safest UK roads, calculated by miles travelled per year, not just based on numbers of accidents.

There might be fewer accidents per mile driven, but those few accidents are far more likely to be serious.

Motorway lessons are a thing because if you do pass plus it reduces your insurance ,or it used to.

We called round some insurers after I passed (2011) and none of them gave a discount for pass plus.

And people wonder why there are so many pile ups on the motorways... Some of the advice on here is crazy.
You don't even seem to know the basics of motorway driving!
Have a couple of lessons first, it may save lives

I've been driving for over 30 years now and drive on motorways a lot. I still find them very dangerous. Despite undertaking being illegal it happens constantly so you need to be aware of traffic on all sides of you at all times, plus the cars that will suddenly cross 3 lanes of traffic, with no warning because they have missed their exit, then there are cars who will drive seemingly attached to your bumper because you have the temerity to be sticking to say the 50mph within the variable speed limit section (of which there are many on the M25).

My best experiences so far have been whilst driving on the ME late at night. Twice, without warning, the motorway has been closed for roadworks and traffic is diverted into.local roads except, having left the motorway, all diversion signs disappear and so you are left to try and find alternative routes by yourself, at night. The satnav doesn't realise that the motorway is closed and so constantly tries to get you back onto the motorway.

I think it's situations like that where inexperience as a driver becomes apparent. You might think it's fine to drive on a motorway, straight road well sign posted and with a sat Nov, but if things change you suddenly find yourself not only having to concentrate on road conditions but also on reading road signs etc.

There might be fewer accidents per mile driven, but those few accidents are far more likely to be serious.

I agree. I actually thought I had said that in my post but I had worded it badly and referred to it being 'frightening' which is, of course, too much of an understatement.

I suppose its like flying in that respect - safe form of transport but if something does go wrong then there is much less hope of just walking away than in other situations.

Of course instructor is reccing mway lessons, easy money for them!

I did have one lesson and it was enough.

We called round some insurers after I passed (2011) and none of them gave a discount for pass plus.

It's one of the questions on the comparison websites, so some insurers must give a discount.

Of course instructor is reccing mway lessons, easy money for them!

Why? Most driving instructors are already busy enough with the normal test. My son's driving instructor had a waiting list. If they were struggling to find pupils, then I might agree with you, but when they can fill their diary with normal pupils for the normal test, just what would be the point? My son's instructor wasn't bothered at all about pushing a motorway lesson for my son - in fact it was us that did all the pushing - the instructor never even mentioned it.

Put P plates on so others know you are a novice driver. You do get road bullies and idiots (same as everywhere). If you are confident and safe on A roads you should be fine with motorways.
Remember it’s all a lot faster, so decisions, actions and reactions need to be quicker.

Scary how many people using motorways that don’t know what appropriate safe driving is 😱

Not all instructors are made equal. There are also unscrupulous instructors that take their learners on 2 hours lessons that are no way beat their test centre.

*near not beat

We don't have any motorways in our county and everyone I know seems to have managed ok

I would have at least one lesson with your driving instructor, the thing about motorway traffic is the speed that they come up at, you look in the mirror and there's nothing there, seconds later you have a BMW driver up your arse. I learnt to drive years ago but if I was learning now I would definitely want a lesson or two - as much for the 'etiquette' as anything...

The satnav doesn't realise that the motorway is closed and so constantly tries to get you back onto the motorway.

On a side note, use Google maps or Waze rather than a satnav like TomTom. They get input from drivers and are likely to have information about the road closure.

I did pass plus 15 years ago and it was nice to get the confidence when someone else could take the pedals, but tbh I don't think its necessary. Go and practice first thing Sunday morning once its light with an experienced driver next to you.

@hearhoovesthinkzebras
Only people I see undertaking are those having to go around middle lane or outside lane hoggers, the lanes that are for overtaking only. I drive 80% on big motorways and rarely see the odd daft person weaving through traffic and genuinely undertaking.

If you stay in the inside lane on the M25, you will most definitely end up getting off the motorway several times

yes, sometimes you even need to get over to lane 4 (thinking of the M4 junction coming from the south)

However, I dispute that it is selfish to do 60 in the inside lane, or dangerous to move over to the lane you need at a junction doing 60. People should be slowing at junctions anyway, not doing 90. I usually do about 65, so if someone is going more slowly I overtaken them. If I am going too slowly for someone else, they can overtake me. It's hardly difficult, is it?

As for the lorries, it would be helpful if one doing 59 didn't decide to overtake one doing 58 though to be fair in most cases you see a gap opening up behind the overtaken and the overtaker very quickly.

We've had this debate on the dual carriageway thread but the limit is 70 and I am not driving at a faster speed than I am comfortable with to accommodate those who insist on doing 90. Fortunately, on the M25, there are usually lower restrictions anyway, enforced by average speed cameras.

Only people I see undertaking are those having to go around middle lane or outside lane hoggers, the lanes that are for overtaking only

I often see undertakers in situations when they shouldn't be - eg joining the motorway, you move over to let them on, and rather than leeting you back into the inside lane in front of them they speed up and undertake you.

Or you are overtaking someone, and they zoom up the inside lane to the back of the car you were overtaking and come out at the last minute. Maybe you think that's great driving. I prefer a planned approach where you see the car you need to overtake, check it's safe to come out, do so in plenty of time (I don't mean a mile back) and then go back in once you are finished. The fact that some people like to scream up the inside and overtake at the last minute doesn't make me a middle lane sitter. Or staying in lane 2 when lane 1 is frequently an exit lane (eg M25).

Far too much hysteria over middle lane sitting. Genuine middle lane sitting with some twotsit doing about 55 in the middle lane doesn't happen that often and even when it does, there are outside lanes to use. But for some reason people prefer undertaking. Is that because they're scared to use the outside lane?

I didn't have motorway lessons. I did drive around for a few weeks on normal roads first but then just got on with it. Make sure you know the code and you'll be fine

More valuable than lessons is to have someone in the car with you who can yell ‘look out’ as needed / help you decide when to switch lanes / navigate. Have a practice with a friend on a fast road first and see how you feel. If you are a hesitant driver some lessons might help, if you are a decisive and observant driver who isn’t easily distracted, you’ll be much safer than most people on the motorway.

The hardest bit of motorway driving is other drivers doing random stuff like driving close behind you flashing lights to make you change lanes, motorbikes doing wheelies, lorries that won’t get out of the way when you’re trying to get on/off the motorway, not getting distracted when the satnav and road signs contradict each other, staying at a safe speed when everyone around you is doing 8ph in icy rain, etc.

That said as a new driver I felt safer on a motorway than on winding single track country lanes where idiots suddenly whizz round the blind corner at 70mph on the assumption the road will be empty. Which happens surprisingly often round here.

I wouldn’t pay for motorway lessons but I would have a motorway practice with a friend in the car.

Try to avoid rush hour obviously.

I didn't have motorway lessons. I did drive around for a few weeks on normal roads first but then just got on with it. Make sure you know the code and you'll be fine

I think this is the key. You need to be confident on the roads generally, in which case, you wouldn't struggle with the motorway. But OP clearly isn't confident in new driving situations (six tries to pass) and doesn't seem to have the full understanding of rules of the road.

I had a motorway lesson straight after passing my test and found it really useful. I learned lots of useful tips which you just don’t pick up driving around a town.