To find four lane motorways very stressful

[stressedout677]

I was driving into London the other day and found myself on a four lane motorway. I'm not the most confident of drivers (and don't drive very often either) and found it really difficult keeping an eye on four lanes of traffic rather than the usual three. I was really relieved when it dropped down to three lanes. Does anyone else find this or is it just me?

I had to drive round the M25 a couple of years ago. I swore never again. It was the combination of 4 lanes with the frequent junctions that got me.

I also don't like the smart motorways that have done away with the hard shoulder.

I suspect that the more you do this kind of thing the more you get used to it.

Thanks Teen, glad I’m not the only one!

Four lane motorways also tend to be busier, have temporary lane specific instructions and get so slow that you’ve got people undertaking because it’s then a ‘queue’.
All doesn’t help.

You don’t exactly need to watch all four lanes constantly, though. You watch what is adjacent to you and what might impact you. If you try to watch everything equally, you won’t be paying enough attention to what’s around you.

Have you thought about having motorway lessons for confidence? Either that or simply driving more often?

Wait until we have Hover Pods. You will have to look above and below also.

You'd have fun in some parts of the USA then OP.

But it's the same principle whether you're on a dual carriageway, motorway, 4 lane motorway, 7 lane superhighway.

Stay left unless overtaking.

I don't mind them until you have to start splitting off into a certain lane for a certain direction. The M4/M5 junction has 5 lanes and you have to be in the middle one to go north as the right lanes go across to Wales. I'm always getting cut off by people at the last second.

You'd love it here, there's 5 lanes at some points and multiple motorways joining.

@Ellpellwood

Exactly, got in the wrong lane once, never again!

Raspberry If you stay left on the M25 you'll be filtered off at the next junction. And there always is a next junction quite soon.

It doesn't really make any difference. You just need to be aware of what is going on around you and what is happening with the road layout.

I don’t mind the number of lanes as they are usually clearly marked, but hate driving on unlit motorways at night in the rain.
Stick to the nearside lane if you’re anxious, and match your speed to the vehicle in front of you, that way you won’t get hassled by traffic behind you, and you’ll only have to worry about vehicles on one side of you.

@RaspberryCoulis

But it's the same principle whether you're on a dual carriageway, motorway, 4 lane motorway, 7 lane superhighway.

Stay left unless overtaking.

This^

Although there is a section of 4 lane motorway near me that I hate. Its not very long but eventually the left lane goes one way, 2nd lane another and 3rd/4th lanes are the original motorway. There's always people in the wrong lane, swerving across multiple lanes at the last moment despite having had signage for the previous mile

I've noticed that on 4 lane motorways there are loads more people who just seem to pick a lane and stay in it. So you'll have someone doing a steady 60 in the third lane, when there isn't anything to overtake for ages.

It's worrying that the very simple rule of staying on the left unless overtaking seems to be either understood less or adhered to less these days. (And I'm aware that I sound like some Alan Partridge-like figure saying that )

You just stay in the left hand lane unless you need to over take and then go into the second lane. You don't really need to be tracking what everyone is doing in all 4 lanes if travelling at the speed limit. Driving standards have definitely gone down in the UK - so many people sit in overtaking lanes rather than using them to actually overtake.

You don't need to observe all 4 lanes. That'll be dangerous and distracting.

I somehow found myself in the fast lane (there were lots of junctions and roads merging, plus lots of slow lorries) and found it really nerve-wracking getting back to the left. I will avoid it if at all possible in future and yes, I would hate to drive in the USA as I know multiple lanes are very common there!

Atlanta, GA has 14 and more lane highways - absolutely horrific. I did it once at rush hour and never again.

It's the same problem as with all other motorways. Most of the idiots stick in the right-but-one lane, not bothering to pay the slightest bit of attention to anyone else.

I absolutely loathe that entitled kind of behaviour.

@RickiTarr

You don’t exactly need to watch all four lanes constantly, though. You watch what is adjacent to you and what might impact you. If you try to watch everything equally, you won’t be paying enough attention to what’s around you.

Have you thought about having motorway lessons for confidence? Either that or simply driving more often?

Or, preferably for the rest of us, driving less often?

Well one or the other @tonicwaterparty 😕

The worst is when it's a 4 lane and you've been doing the correct left-lane-except-for-overtaking but then all the lanes are feeding off onto different junctions and you have to get into the 3rd or 4th lane which people are still using for "overtaking" (ie going at 100mph+). My little car shakes if you go much over 85!

It's not four lanes which is the issue. It is the removal of hard shoulders without functioning technology to stop traffic in case of a breakdown of collision. If you are on a 'smart' motorway then you are right to be very concerned.

No different to other types of motorways? Stick to the rules and it doesn't matter.

I drive the M25 a few times a week though. Don't tend to notice how many lanes. Just go in the one I need to for the speed I'm doing/if I need to overtake.