To be petrified driving on motorways

[mollyfolk]

Anyone else scared of driving on motorways? I'm driving years but mostly within 20km of where I live. I avoid motorways or long distances as much as possible. I have to make a 3 hour journey now on Monday, mostly motorway, and I am already feeling sick about it.

I do breathing exercises to stay calm when driving like this. Has anyone overcome a phobia like this?

@suki1964
Sorry but you are mistaking a person who finds that driving gives them anxiety to mean that they drive unsafely or like an old lady.
I admit to not enjoying driving and I find it stressful. This is made worse by dangerous drivers around.
Of course I make mistakes and I can acknowledge that.
I don't unduly hesitate at roundabouts! I drive to the speed limit and in fact I'm infuriated by instructors taking learners onto 30mph roads and they are doing 15mph!! I was told to keep to the limit. But obviously not speed.
I find idiots on mobiles, those who think indicating is an option unbelievable.
I live by a mini roundabout, and at least once a week when I'm walking ,someone comes flying round it without indicating. I always tell my dc to presume they are turning and not step out into the road

Completely agree

Thank you @GenAvocadoOnToast - that's a good tip on the gear. I feel like I'm not sure what Gear to be in, so I'll pay heed to that on Monday and try to nail this.

I dint say I wouldn't overtake

I live in a very tourist area, caravans and campers for miles, as well as tractors and other assorted slow moving vehicles , and you get a nervous driver behind one and thats it, you could be stuck many miles before you get clearance to take both. Today, I saw cars and vans taking risks because a slow/elderly/nervous driver wouldn't take the camper in front

I agree it’s incredibly annoying, but if someone decides to overtake when they’re not sure it’s safe to do so and causes an accident then that’s on them. The previous owners of the house I grew up in lost their lives because someone chanced overtaking when they shouldn’t have. The impatient driver who takes the risk is the much bigger danger.

On the A9 (Scotland's deadliets road) there are notices at regular intervals asking slow drivers to pull in to allow faster drivers to overtake. I think they say something like "Frustration kills, slow drivers please allow other drivers to overtake"

If motorway driving was compulsory for a driving test how would that work for those of us who live hundreds of miles from one?

I'm nervous about driving on motorways but fine otherwise. That doesn't mean I shouldn't be driving at all.

Im not even saying impatient drivers taking a risk, but eventually that will happen when stuck behind drivers who dont take the space and speed afforded them

Over here in NI we are governed for a year of passing a test to 45 MPH - all roads, thats it, even motorways. And that year allows you learn how to drive safely . You have the P plate up, other drivers give you space, and you soon find out what you can and cant do

Stuck behind a 40mph driver on a 70mph road, someone is going to take a risk, under cutting is the norm. Have confidence when driving, read the road

Driving at 70mph and knowing that a minor error in judgment could cause a crash is a perfectly logical reaction. It seems that people have different responses to the situation depending on their situation, age, or other factors

When I was younger I was a lot more comfortable driving on the motorway. However, now even with more caution and experience, I'm more reluctant to do so.

YANBU, believing in your intuition and using breathing exercises is the best way to handle it.

Isn't it.

@ViaRia01 don't suppose youre in North London are you? I need yout instructor !

Yes, i used to be very scared driving on motorways. I would drive totally rigid, gripping the wheel like a vice. It seems to be brought on by personal stress i was having.
I had to do it for work and gradually it got easier. The more you do something, the less it frightens you. Try building up with short journeys.

Feeling for you living with that fear. I had a friend who was the same but they needed to just get on and do it for an emergency with a family member and it was the quickest way to get to them and haven’t looked back. As others have said just go for little practise runs and you’ll soon get your confidence

I find dual carriageways much more difficult to join especially when the slip road is very short and there is loads of traffic, nose to nose lorries on the main carriageway.
At least with motorways the slip roads are usually really long with good visibility.

How on earth does fear of motorways make you an incompetent driver?

I find those that drive on motor ways with zero fear or awareness of why there might be fear terrifying.

And neither should nervous drivers. I get stuck behind them all the time, hesitating, braking whenever another car comes towards them, in the wrong lanes. Get more lessons or don’t drive.

No. What happens if your route gets changes due to a diversion? Or you meet an unexpected obstacle? You can’t just expect to only be able to manage your car in certain situations. If you can’t manage it in any possible situation then you need to get further lessons or stop driving.

Then why cannot people go from a normal road to a motorway without panicking and writing thread about it?

I wouldn't say I'm a nervous driver (though I have said upthread that due to 2 recent accident that weren't my fault I'm working on feeling anxious).

I don't hesitate e.g. start to move then stop, but I do take my time to double check (so many cyclists w/o any lights or high viz in Cambridge), I've only ever been in the wrong lane when I'm new to an area and road markings aren't clear. I think that happens to everyone now and again.

I do often brake when a car comes towards me on the narrow A roads (dark, fading or no road markings, no cats eyes) because of the new dazzling lights. I read a news article from an optician who said 8/10 of her clients say they struggle with those lights and that the AA or RAC have a campaign. If the car behind is to close that me slowing is going to cause them to brake sharply then they are too close. If a car had been close behind me for both of the accidents they would have gone straight into me for sure. I may try those tinted glasses.

I come across arse hole over confident drivers far far more. Nervous drivers following th Highway Code do not need to stop driving. Arrogant over confident arseholes with zero fear who speed , tailgate, don’t drive with driving conditions in mind( yes if weather is shit you will need to slow down), needlessly nip in and out, don’t indicate…..( the list is endless) do.

I'm the same. But it's entirely because of other shit drivers and not really liking driving fast. I'm very confident around the city . It doesn't stop me driving on them but I stay on the inside lane, drive within the speed limit and leave a good distance between me and the car in front.

Same as my mum! She won't even drive to my new house because it's a 'new' route.

You have to force yourself.

Motorways are easy!

I don't agree being nervous is the same as hesitant or incompetent. People get nerves before they go on stage or do exams and it can actually help you perform better. Make you a bit more alert and process things quicker. It's the point of the adrenaline.

This is spot on.Nervous or hesitant drivers are annoying, but not dangerous. I actually feel uncomfortable with people on phones, driving too fast, driving too close to me to intimidate me to go faster when I'm driving at the appropriate speed.
The amount of drivers I see going through red lights too. Not as they are changing, when they are on red.

A nervous driver doesn't make me feel aggressive and the need to make a dodgy move. I'm amazed at brhw number of posters that's seem to justify drivers becoming impatient and doing a risky manoeuvre.