to find this really quite...well, pathetic.

[BritFish]

my son has just got a new girlfriend, who lives the next town over but goes to the same college. she is lovely, and she was telling me today about how her and 3 friends are getting the train to a theme park as a birthday thing. the train station is a good 30 minute walk to the theme park, which isnt a problem, except they dont know the area.
i asked her if noone could give her a lift and she said he dad was working and her mum doesnt drive on motorways.
i immediately thought shed had an accident on one and that made her nervous, i asked in a roundabout way and DS's girlfriend said that everyone always assumes that but her mum just refuses to drive on motorways as they are 'too much stress'
she sighed and just said they [her and her dad] had given up trying to talk sense into her, and that its caused massive fallouts and problems in the past.

AIBU in thinking this woman is deeply unreasonable and frankly worrying?
fair enough to dislike motorways, im not keen myself, but its got to be done sometimes!
surely to be safe on the road you need to be comfortable with different roads etc?
i still cant believe they dont do motorway driving in driving tests though...

claig oh my god, i would have throttled him out of fear!

I had to wait till we got out in one piece

HAve to add my two pennorth (sp??) in here, just to the OP. I've been driving for 17 years and I've probably driven on a motorway 5 times in all that time. I am absolutely terrified at the thought. I hate driving as fast as you have to on the motorway, and, since having kids, just imagine I'm going to be responsible for them being harmed. It is a phobia now, I'd say. I'm perfectly happy driving on dual carriageways, country roads at night, in bad weather, but cannot imagine driving on a motorway. It's not the end of the world, it doesn't really matter, and it sure ain't pathetic. Some people are terrified of spiders, some of buttons. I don't get that, but hey ho. I had some advance driving lessons once when we lived in London, and I wanted to brush up on busy city driving. we did some motorway practice, and the instructor said there's no point putting yourself through that amount of stress if you don't need to, which I heartily agree with!

An excellent driver is one who knows their limitations. The bottom line is that I wouldn't want a person who if frightened of motorway driving taking my DC on the motorway! I would far rather they were honest to start with and my DC was on a bus.

sorry is not if.

juicy I hear what you say but I think you are being short-sighted. Who knows how your life might change in the future? your family might move away, you might need to use motorways and as you get older it will become more of a fear not less. If you travel any distances in the UK it is practically impossible NOT to use a motorway.

I drive on motorways about 3-4 times a year when I do an almost 300 mile run to family. I actually find that I need to keep up my motorway driving so that I don't get rusty.

I first drove on motorways - 350 mile trip- at 21. Within a year I was driving in central London and driving minibuses of kids. I could not have imagined doing this in advance IYSWIM, but needs must.

I suggest you consider hynotherapy or CBT to try to get over your phobia- one day it might be very limiting for you.

Pisces- sorry but that's rubbish- an excellent driver has no limitations. (and that's saying it's the same as the boy racer syndrome.)

oops- NOT saying!

OK -maybe not excellent but a very safe driver can know their limitations and keep off a motorway. Surely you don't want your DC in a car withsomeone who won't admit to it for being tho ught a wuss! I would rather they were brave enough to say so in the first place.

I've not read the whole thread but I think YABU.

I live in the North of Scotland and very rarely drive on Motorways. I would be very nervous about driving on them. I am quite a confident driver though it's just I've not had much experience. I do drive on single track roads which many people have absolutely no idea what to do on them but I don't think they are pathetic.

pisces- yes I agree that I would not want any incompetent driver drivng my kids anywhere- but they now drive themselves everywhere which is another issue and more scary, believe me!

You might like to know that most accidents happen in towns and at 30-40mph rather than on motorways. Motorways have the best safety record of all roads.

I still stand by my point that if you can drive- or SAY you can drive- then you should be able to drive anywhere- motorways, country lanes, town centres- and park anywhere properly. If you cherry pick over where you are happy to drive then you are not, frankly, a competent driver and may not be as safe around town etc as you think you are.

I am safe because I stick to where I am very competent. I do drive on motorways but I find it stressful, I am tense and I hate it-so it is reasonable to seek alternatives where I can. My DSs are happy on the motorway and I am happy to be driven by them. They are happy to be driven by me-they know I am safe-even if not happy.