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

Does a SatNav not tell you what lane to move into?

The M25 is a motorway unlike any other. I swear more people lane hog on that road than any other. There are lots of points where two roads merge into one so people just stay where they are or get into the right lane to avoid a filter junction but about 5 miles in advance. My DH hates me driving on that road because I get so annoyed at other drivers and he has to listen to me whinge.

I'd take someone to manage 2yo unless 2yo is an experienced passenger who just sleeps. I've been driving 19 years and don't particularly enjoy long motorway journeys with one or both kids (worse if out of nappies) because of the the near certain guarantee that one of them will do a poo or need a wee about 10 seconds after you pass the exit for the last services for 20 miles - or the traffic will stop just as they wake up.

Motorways aren't difficult to drive on - I prefer them to normal roads and they don't have stupidly short slip roads like some A-roads. However they do carry the risk of getting stuck for hours if there's an accident ahead - so less fun with kids!

The vehicles on the main carriageway have right of way. When joining a motorway it is up to the vehicle joining to adjust their speed to merge in a suitable gap. Do not expect vehicles to move out or slow down for you . They may but more than likely won't

I didn't know this - I thought that they more than likely will move so you can join. I swear I read on here where loads of people swore they've only encountered nobody letting them merge in on a few occasions

Seriously, OP, if you’re this unsure about it, have a motorway lesson. I had one when I passed my test, about 25 years ago. It taught me some confidence in doing these things - even though I regularly travelled on a motorway with my parents driving (and paid attention/asked questions), there was still a lot to learn.
For the sake of £25 or so, isn’t it worth it to have some peace of mind, and confidence for the first time doing it?

Erm I don’t think you sound like you know how motorways works or can use your mirrors / judge speed of traffic well enough to merge confidently into traffic.

Don’t do a long journey with a toddler as you first motorway drive if so - that would just be daft when a few lessons could prep you so much better.

I'd be tempted to do a few short journeys on the motorway before doing a longer trip like you are suggesting. I worked near a very busy stretch of the M6 and would go up one junction and then back down over a lunchtime just for the experience. I did a longer trip with an experienced driver friend into Manchester as well.

Generally, I think motorway driving is quite easy and as many of the other posters have said, it's no different joining the motorway than it is a dual carriageway.

Good luck!

Do not underestimate how hard it is driving after passing your test. It completely wears you out from sheet concentration. By all means get on the motorway, but take someone experienced with you and do not attempt such a long drive as your first drive. It isn't as simple as get on and sit at 60mph. The last place you want to be is sandwiched between lorries in front, behind and overtaking you. It's even worse if it's raining.

It’s very rare that people don’t cooperate and move over or slow down/speed up to let you in. They want to be safe too.

DH has been driving for 18 years. We don't go on the motorways very often but we travelled from SW Scotland to NW England (4hrs) yesterday and drove all the way back today. Fucking hell he scared me!

He knows perfectly well how to drive but some of the mistakes he was making had me screaming at him and slamming my foot on the imaginary brake on the passenger side!

One example is that I had to explain to him repeatedly that when he was coming up to a crawling lorry or other slow moving vehicle in the slow lane he needed to get indicating and move over to pass as soon as possible. He wouldn't do it though until it was clear behind (and he was up the lorry's arse) but he couldn't understand that it's perfectly reasonable to indicate even with traffic coming up to pass you and that most people will endeavour to move to the fast lane to let you out. Every time he did indicate (at my insistence) they either sped up to get by, pulled back and let him out or switched to the fast lane to give him space. It wasn't rocket science but he just didn't get it at all. I would love for motorways to be on the driving syllabus far more!

Most drivers will let you merge but only if they can.

I’ll move over when I can but I won’t slow down unless strictly necessary to avoid a crash. I don’t want to reduce the stopping gap between me and the car behind me if I don’t have to. You joining is your problem.

You’ll be fine unless something goes wrong.

I’d have at least one lesson.

In 30 years of driving I've never had an issue with merging onto the motorway and I've done a lot of motorway driving, the length and breadth of the country. You'll be fine. I'd suggest you have a few short practice runs when it's quieter. M25 is nearly always at a speed limit that is advertised clearly on the overhead gantries, often 40, then 50, then 60, back to 40 so on and so forth (to keep traffic flowing). The satnav will tell you to keep right or left but not what lane. Be aware of the road signs so that you don't end up in the wrong lane at the last minute. Good luck.

I don’t think this thread will do you any favours - there are lots of people who are motorway refusers. If you are a confident driver, then go for it. You will be fine.

Merging on is fine (and honestly, in your experience have you ever been a passenger in a car that has struggled to merge in?), and if you prefer to stick to the left hand lane only that’s fine too ( and excellent for fuel economy if you slip stream a lorry!).

Ahh ok, I done a bit of research there, thought I was going mad lol.

In N Ireland (where I’m from) after you pass your test you have to display R plates for a year. Cars displaying such a plate can’t exceed 45mph, even on a motorway and use left hand lane only. Seemly it’s not the same across the pond?

Quite a few M25 junctions have slip roads that go straight into their own lane so no merging needed.

Just make sure you always indicate when changing lanes. Also do NOT rely on your mirrors - look behind you when changing lanes because blind spots are very much a thing.

Generally, I think motorway driving is quite easy and as many of the other posters have said, it's no different joining the motorway than it is a dual carriageway

I thought it was a lot different in reality to dual carriageways since you often (around here anyway) don't need to be going at a speed to join the lane, it's often not busy and close to a junction so you couldn't have picked up much speed anyway

Once you're on the motorway just remember two things.

Plan far ahead, if you see a slow lorry approaching a hill you know you will have to pull out. Start planning to adjust your speed to hit a gap rather than reaching the lorry, breaking and flapping because there isn't a gap there.

The information you need is what is happening behind you. If you know that there is one red car overtaking you soon then a white car 10 lengths back (for example) you know what to do if someone pulls out on you or breaks. So, if the red car hasn't gone past you would, check, break and prepare to move over. If the red car is just ahead you would check, signal and move.

Planning far ahead and always knowing as much about the road behind as you do about the road ahead is key to motorway driving.

I swear I read on here where loads of people swore they've only encountered nobody letting them merge in on a few occasions

Because once you're used to motorways you become able to judge your slip road speed to join the road in a natural gap - mostly. That means no one has let you merge, you've just done so.

But sometimes the traffic is too heavy for there to be a natural gap.

Whether people let you in often depends on time of day and road. On the M25 people are less likely to let you in because drivers there are a bit more 'every man for himself'. That means you will need to be decisive and confident about merging safely - hence everyone's recommendation for some practise motorways first.

If it’s not too busy and traffic is fast moving most drivers will move into the middle lane if they see cars joining on a slip road.

It’s experience you need, you should be able to read the road and drive according to the conditions.

Always check your blind spot over your shoulder !! And no your sat nav will not always tell you what lane to be in

and excellent for fuel economy if you slip stream a lorry

Never do this!!!! Ever!!!

As you will be driving M1 and M25, both shits roads with very heavy traffic you really need to at least do some practice runs first. Traffic is very fast, faster than you think

When coming into the motorway off the slip, wait for a gap, no one will let you in as the traffic flows you have to join the flow without forcing other drivers to brake.
Stay in the left lane unless overtaking.
Take note of the gantry of warnings about traffic ahead and the change of speed limits.
Also, make sure your mirrors are well adjusted and check for blind spots when changing lanes as motorcycles can nip through without you realising. I always pull to the furthest side to let them pass as I don’t want to be blamed for their accident.
You’ll be fine 🚗 💨
Btw, I’m in Bedfordshire, M1 or A1M?

Um....depends on your sat nav. I've never had one that tells you exactly which lane but most say things like "stay right" or "come off". But obviously some times sat navs aren't up to date with an incident that's just happened and necessitated closed lanes or roadworks or whatever! It does sound a bit worrying how dependent you expect to be on the sat nav rather than reading the road signs tbh.

Also if people don't let you in to the motorway from the slip road yes you definitely definitely have to stop BUT at the same time beware of the people behind you who won't expect you to be doing this. I dont really understand whatbthe alternative to stopping would even be - the whole point is you cant get on so have nowhere to keep going to???

The moving traffic on the main road has priority, they should try and let you in to the motorway but don't have to. Please try and practice getting on in a busy time before you attempt the m25!

Also plan how long your journey is supposed to take....if you've been taking driving lessons I assume you've never driven more than an hour or so before? And never with a crying two year old to distract you?

Actaully driving on a motorway is fine...getting on and off can be really hard, depending on traffic and number of twats on the road!