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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

What would your life change if you had to get rid of your car/could no longer drive

224 replies

Netcurtainnelly · 29/01/2026 17:03

Do you ever worry about this?
How would it change your life tomorrow?
Which things would not be possible anymore?

OP posts:
Sminty2 · 29/01/2026 17:06

I don’t really think about it but now you have asked, I would be absolutely devastated. I can’t walk very well and rely on my car to go anywhere.

It would make my life very small.

MatildaTheCat · 29/01/2026 17:07

Not that much would change other than the inconvenience of getting cabs/ waiting for lifts. I recently has six weeks enforced non driving and it was ok if a bit restrictive.

However my DM is mid eighties and lives in a village without a single shop and an extremely unreliable bus service. She doesn’t use her car very much but would be entirely dependent on others if she ( when she) has to stop driving.

AgnesMcDoo · 29/01/2026 17:08

My kids would have to give up all of their extra curricular activities

So I personally would be better
of financially and have more time but it would be shit for them

VeterinaryCareAssistant · 29/01/2026 17:08

I'm 45 and don't drive. My life wouldn't change that much as I already walk and get the bus.

My partner drives and he'd lose his mind.

It would restrict us in so much as we wouldn't drive to places we go to occasionally for events and we'd have to plan the trips to Birmingham and Kent around public transport and probably book overnight stays.

Fearfulsaints · 29/01/2026 17:26

It would take me longer to get to two of my jobs and cost more. I'd probably leave the one in a rural location as although there is a station just over a mile away, the path is isolated and not one id like to walk at night, when I finish work.

My son woukd have to leave his extra curricular.

Id not be able to access so many bits of the countryside for walks as I often drive to a walk.

youalright · 29/01/2026 17:28

It would make me less flexible for work, but it would mean I would learn how to use a bus

Squirrelchops1 · 29/01/2026 17:29

Catastrophic. Neither partner nor I could do our jobs. For him to do his we'd have to move as he currently works away. House prices there are triple where we live so would put us in a very financially precarious situation.

Without a car I couldn't do my current job. I might be able to get one in an associated field but I'd be severely disadvantaged.

RaininSummer · 29/01/2026 17:30

I wouldn't have much of a weekend as would spend about six hours on buses or a fortune on taxis.

FancyCatSlave · 29/01/2026 17:31

All of it.

I live rurally with no public transport. I wouldn’t be able to get to work or to see my family, or go to shops. I’d have to give up horses. My daughter would have to live with her dad full time to get to school.

I’d have to move in to a revolting city and live a townie life. It would be hideous for me. If it was for health reasons I’d rather be dead.

Obviously when I am ancient I will have to stop, but I will have given up work and horses by then anyway!

StrictlyAFemaleFemale · 29/01/2026 17:31

I couldn't get to work. I could bike to guides but that would not be fun, and DD would probably drop out. I'd be reliant on the supermarket down the road and the one place that delivers groceries. Our takeaway would be cold before it got home.

Swiftie1878 · 29/01/2026 17:32

It would be catastrophic for me. I’d need to move house.

Rshard · 29/01/2026 17:33

I had to stop driving for medical reasons very suddenly and it’s been hard. I’ve been very lucky as colleagues and family have given me lifts and I’m so grateful but the loss of independence has been difficult to to process.

NoYourNameChanged · 29/01/2026 17:34

I’d literally go nowhere. DS would have to stop going to preschool as there’d be no way of getting him there. Couldn’t go out, see friends, see family, anything really. There’s no public transport nearby and we live in the sticks (properly, truly middle of nowhere) so that would be that.

LuciaMi · 29/01/2026 17:35

I do worry about it as I recently had a health scare that would have meant I had to stop driving (thankfully not). I am aware of the privilege of being able to drive and afford to run a car.

For me, I would have to change jobs (not the end of the world). The real issue would be for my youngest DC who has a competitive hobby that would be impossible if I couldn’t drive and that I wouldn’t be able to see my family and friends nearly as much which would be isolating.

Windowseleventy · 29/01/2026 17:36

I’m disabled with a Motability car. I’d use the Motability element of my pip to compensate as much as possible but a lot of my freedom would be gone.

MagicKittens · 29/01/2026 17:36

It's likely to be the cases~~@ for me within the next few years (eye problems). I already can't safely drive at night.

Need to work out my alternative plans, really. Getting to the vet is the big issue.

Girlintheframe · 29/01/2026 17:39

My life would completely change. I work in the community and have to be able to drive. So my job would have to go.
I could manage with shops as have a fair bit locally but I travel daily to walk the dog/go for runs. Also family live about 30 mins away and it would be a nightmare (no bus route) to get to them. My life would be completely different if I could not drive.

Windowseleventy · 29/01/2026 17:41

I should add. I’ve already changed my life due to disability so in terms of location and living arrangements I’m already sorted.

I’ve thought about it a lot.

ReignOfError · 29/01/2026 17:41

Where I live now, it would make life very difficult and expensive, and I’d have to stop doing a number of things I enjoy as I’d never be able to get to them.

I have lived elsewhere without a car quite happily, and am currently researching where to move to so that I can do so again.

Plantlady10 · 29/01/2026 17:44

I'm a sahm who doesn't drive, but my husband does. Days without my husband are quite restricted, we can walk to nursery/school, a small shop, a park and have local woodland/countryside, and can get a bus into town but any big fun days out need a car (as they are either inaccessible by public transport or the journey is too long and not practical with small children). Before I had kids I walked to work or got the bus, so it was fine but of course did restrict the jobs I could go for

I think most people who have a car will say it would be impossible to live without one, because they have built their life around having one, which is understandable. Whereas people who have never car have factored this into everything- where they live, the job they have

TheRealMcKenna · 29/01/2026 17:45

I was in exactly this situation at age 35 when I was diagnosed with irreversible sight loss.

After 17 years of driving and 14 years of owning a car I was suddenly unable to drive (as well as, eventually, read and work).

I live in an area with very good bus routes. I get a bus pass because I can’t drive for medical reasons. I rely on taxis/ubers when necessary and I have a supportive family. There’s loads I simply cannot do for myself though. DH has been very supportive. So (now) is DS who can drive and gives me lifts.

I could never move to a rural area. I live on the edge of a town and the idea of moving to the countryside or even abroad fills me with dread. I’m not really a city person, so where I am suits me fine. My world is a lot smaller though.

my kids missed out when they were growing up. They weren’t able to participate in things their friends could because DH works long hours and I couldn’t get them there. However, that’s life. Plenty of kids miss out on things for other reasons.

The saddest part was having to give up work (teaching). Not being able to drive made work very difficult and the eyesight loss eventually made my job impossible.

DH’s parents have recently given up their licenses for no good reason. They believe they can use the money saved to pay for taxis but in the year since selling the car they’ve used precisely zero taxis. If they can’t get there on the bus they don’t go. I am rather irritated by the burden they’ve put on DH who already has enough responsibility being sole breadwinner and helping me out without having to trog halfway around the country to take them to places. That’s just me, though. I’m just a bit intolerant of them and I know that’s my fault.

Evaporateandlisten · 29/01/2026 17:49

Neither Dh or I would be able to work.

Our nearest shop is 12 miles away and our nearest bus stop is 5 miles away. We would be very fit!

We could get shopping delivered but we don’t have takeaway deliveries here (not that we have them often).

We wouldn’t see family unless they came to us.

horseplay12 · 29/01/2026 17:50

I couldn’t get to work, or anywhere very easily - live semi-rurally so several buses which are at most hourly, and last ones are at about 6pm, to get to a big town or city, no out of town shopping, cinema or anything else like that without relying on other people for lifts.
my DD wouldn’t be able to attend her hospital/ CAMHS appointments without taking a whole day off school (for a mid day appointment) and even then would involve several miles walking to/from bus stops.

Simonjt · 29/01/2026 17:51

No, we live in a city, I do own a car, but really for how little we use it its very hard to justify the cost.

stargirl1701 · 29/01/2026 17:52

I would have to move. We live rurally in Northern Scotland and there is no local bus service.