I hate motorway driving!

[AWiseWomanOnceSaidFuckThisShit]

Country roads? Fine. A roads? No problem. Residential streets? That's me.

Motorways? Oh I hate them, I find them so scary! I'm capable... I wouldn't go on them if I wasn't. I keep on fighting the fear because I don't want to restrict myself... but I hate them, they scare me. The lorries. The wind you feel sometimes when the car sways. Having to speed up when overtaking. My palms always have a thin film of sweat when it's over and I'm always so relieved to see that turn off. I didn't give a flying shite in my 20s but the older I get the more anxious I feel.

Is it just me?! Lighthearted...

I hate the motorway too, find it quite stressful - I don’t know if this is because I associate the motorway with long journeys which are obviously a bit tiring. If I’m going on a day out now I usually get the train. I find it a much more relaxing journey.

Nowhere in the UK is the speed limit for the motorway 80mph And nowhere in my post did I say it did. I chose my words carefully. You must know as well as I do that the actual speed of travel on a motorway is nearer to 80 than 70.

When did they take away hard shoulders? There are some sections of smart motorway where it is used as a lane at busy times, but the overwhelming majority of miles of motorway have functional hard shoulders.

The M1 between junctions 35A and 33, and possibly beyond is a 4 lane motorway on each carriageway with no hard shoulder.

Given that so many people work from home or only commute to the office a few times a week now I wonder if they will bring the hard shoulder back?

I used to commute on that stretch, and believe me, making it four lanes was a godsend, especially near Christmas.

@1Morewineplease have you considered hypnotherapy? I found it really amazing for my driving phobia.

By definition, dual carriageways have something dividing the two directions of traffic. Hence dual. One carriageway going one way, one carriageway going the other. If there is nothing in between then it is a single carriageway. Yes of course they have something. I didn't say "dual carriageways usually have something dividing..." I was saying the "something" was either a barrier or wide. It's not usual to have a narrow (say less than 2ft) strip without a barrier.

It worries me more that people with this degree of super-anxiety are behind the wheel on a motorway at all.

I like motorway driving, I hate variable speed limits, they are so dangerous and mostly unnecessary.

@AWiseWomanOnceSaidFuckThisShit

Country roads? Fine. A roads? No problem. Residential streets? That's me.

Motorways? Oh I hate them, I find them so scary! I'm capable... I wouldn't go on them if I wasn't. I keep on fighting the fear because I don't want to restrict myself... but I hate them, they scare me. The lorries. The wind you feel sometimes when the car sways. Having to speed up when overtaking. My palms always have a thin film of sweat when it's over and I'm always so relieved to see that turn off. I didn't give a flying shite in my 20s but the older I get the more anxious I feel.

Is it just me?! Lighthearted...

I could have more or less written this post!

Everyone needs to use them but it’s torture for commuters to see people doing 70 in the fast lane - it’s for overtaking. Or refusing to give up the middle lane

Well nobody should be doing over 70mph. But of course if the inside or middle lanes are free you should be in one of those, not the outside lane.

You must know as well as I do that the actual speed of travel on a motorway is nearer to 80 than 70

Yes of course, but it doesn't mean it's right. I should be able to do 65 on a motorway happily without feeling that I am getting in everyone's way when I overtake a lorry doing 55. And I can assure you I don't middle lane sit, I am more than happy to sit in the inside lane doing 65. There is an outside lane, why are people are reluctant to use it? If someone is in the middle, go round them.

@TSSDNCOP

It worries me more that people with this degree of super-anxiety are behind the wheel on a motorway at all.

I agree. SIL lives in a county with no motorways. She is a "local driver" only. I doubt that she has driven more than a 20 mile radius from her home. She has never driven on a motorway and never will, and relies on other people to drive her anywhere further afield.

I'm the same!! In my 10 years of driving I've driven 4 times on the motorway. Once I'm on I'm fine, for me it's the joining on to it. I'm always scared that cars aren't going to pull back or move over to let me in. It costs me fortune to go see my OH because they only way I can get there is by train. I do keep telling myself one of these days I will drive up but it'll be about 2 o'clock in the morning to avoid all the traffic. HGV's don't faze me. I actually feel safe being on the road with them

I'm not a middle lane hogger, as such, but I don't like frequent lane hopping, and so I do stay in the middle lane sometimes if there is a 'block' of slow moving vans and trucks in the left hand lane, until I'm past all of them, then I signal and move into the left hand lane. What is the correct etiquette on a four lane motorway though?

Love motorway driving. Love driving generally, but motorway driving is my fave.

I am with the OP, I hate motorways. I do use them but avoid them if I can, even if the journey takes longer.
They make me nervous, people drive like absolute maniacs on them and I don't like the monotony. Give me an A Road any day.

I was terrified of motorway driving and avoided it for years. Then I had an event that I couldn’t get out of and my only option was to drive 75 miles on the motorway - I ended up really enjoying it! The Glasgow motorways are a hideous nightmare (multiple lanes that suddenly change into a different road, so lots of merging required) but once I was outside the city, it was a lovely flat drive with no surprises. No pedestrians stepping off the pavement without looking, no turning a blind corner to find someone attempting a three point turn, no stop-start city traffic.

I’ve been on the motorway several times since then and while I’m not thrilled to drive at 70mph, it’s much easier than navigating a town.

I love driving so quite enjoy driving on the motorway, I'm fine on country roads too, I live rurally and country lanes are without doubt much more dangerous and challenging, especially for people who are not used to them.

Motorway driving does come with its frustrations, middle lane hoggers and the 100mph+ dick heads (ALWAYS Audi drivers) expecting you to move out of their way RIGHT NOW even if there is nowhere for you to go , drivers who merge into your lane totally unaware of the carnage they nearly caused. Drivers who refuse to move from the left lane to accommodate merging traffic make me cross as do oblivious drivers who don't have their wits about them. Oh and people who brake randomly for no reason, creating a domino effect, so dangerous. But despite all of this, as I said, I do quite enjoy the chance to blast along in my car, listening to music.

As most have said, confidence comes with exposure, so I would suggest you try and get some motorway miles under your belt with a friend next to you for moral support.

One more thing, this doesn't make sense....

ReeseWitherfork So many times I’ve sat on the motorway and dreamt of auto pilot cars just so that everyone can go one speed

@FixTheBone

They exist

I own one

My 50mile commute on the m62 every day is lovely. Autopilot engage, Spotify on. Chillax

Using autopilot is illegal in the UK

Thankfully I live in an area where there are no motorways. If we need to go to the airport the motorway is not scary so can manage it. I used to live near the M25 and hated having to go on it. I'm so glad I don't have to do that any more. I have visions of having a panic attack not being able to join the motorway.

I think posters mean Cruise Control when they are saying auto pilot. I use Cruise Control a lot when motorway dricing, especially in roadworks with 50 mph speed limits and average speed cameras.

I don't mind it mostly but it can be horrible when it's very busy. I once had a lorry pull out on me when I was overtaking it and it pushed me into the outside lane, fortunately the car that was about to overtake me managed to slow so no collision. I don't think the lorry driver was even aware he'd touched me. I was quite nervous for a while after that when passing lorries but that seems to have mostly worn off.

Another time my cam belt broke in the outside lane (I'd just had the car serviced too) and I completely lost power. There was still some dick right up my arse flashing his lights at me as if I'd slowed down to 40mph just for the hell of it. Some kind person had already called it in to the police by the time I called though.

I find it more difficult in the dark, I worry about misjudging distances, speeds and lanes again when it's busy.

I think posters mean Cruise Control when they are saying auto pilot.
No, they mean auto-pilot. The thing that accelerates, brakes and steers for you.

I think posters mean Cruise Control when they are saying auto pilot.
No, they mean auto-pilot. The thing that accelerates, brakes and steers for you.
Cruise control does tend to accelerate and break nowadays? And I guess lane assist steers but have never had that.
But yes, when I said auto pilot, I meant self-drive or whatever it is those Silicon Valley folk are inventing.

@SurreyHillsGirl

I love driving so quite enjoy driving on the motorway, I'm fine on country roads too, I live rurally and country lanes are without doubt much more dangerous and challenging, especially for people who are not used to them.

Motorway driving does come with its frustrations, middle lane hoggers and the 100mph+ dick heads (ALWAYS Audi drivers) expecting you to move out of their way RIGHT NOW even if there is nowhere for you to go , drivers who merge into your lane totally unaware of the carnage they nearly caused. Drivers who refuse to move from the left lane to accommodate merging traffic make me cross as do oblivious drivers who don't have their wits about them. Oh and people who brake randomly for no reason, creating a domino effect, so dangerous. But despite all of this, as I said, I do quite enjoy the chance to blast along in my car, listening to music.

As most have said, confidence comes with exposure, so I would suggest you try and get some motorway miles under your belt with a friend next to you for moral support.

One more thing, this doesn't make sense....

ReeseWitherfork So many times I’ve sat on the motorway and dreamt of auto pilot cars just so that everyone can go one speed

@FixTheBone

They exist

I own one

My 50mile commute on the m62 every day is lovely. Autopilot engage, Spotify on. Chillax

Using autopilot is illegal in the UK

Errrmmmm,

No it isn't.

Hands free driving is illegal.

Tesla autopilot requires hands to be on the wheel and driver to be paying attention.

@Elai1978

People right up my arse in a 50 average speed limit section. Ugh.

Are you in lane 3 at an indicated 50mph? If so I’m not surprised that people are up your arse. You’re probably doing 47/48mph, many people want to be doing 53/54mph, I set cruise at an indicated 56/57mph.

No? Have you never encountered people who don't understand how it works and do 65 between cameras?

Well, I prefer motorways. Relatively straight (no tight corners like country lanes have), more room (well, perhaps not at rush hour on the M25!) and signs well in advance to tell you what to do/when to turn off.

However, you are right that it isn't you but other drivers who are likely to cause an accident by driving beyond the speed limit....