Driving me mad!

[Angiel]

Has anybody else got a dh/dp who is heavily into cars. My dh has got a sports type car that I really don't like that much. I had the misfortune to go in it with him yesterday and it was horrendous.

When we go out as a family we normally take my car which is a people carrier and the same problems don't occur. My dh rarely takes the children out in the car on his own but I am worried for their safety.

He promises that he doesn't drive fast when he has the children with him and to my knowledge he doesn't. My dad was killed in a motorway pile up when I was 14 and I am terrified that history will repeat itself.

My dh is a very confident driver and if he knows he is in the right he will plough on regardless of what other drivers are doing. I just am filled with this feeling of dread and wondered if anyone had any advice on how I should deal with this?

TIA

I can't believe you didn't get more replies on this; there must be very many women in your position. DH is an ex-boy racer. He's now a reborn anti-car person, which means he's even more poignantly aware of stupid male driving. I guess all you can do is keep reminding your DH that car accidents are the number 1 killer for people under 35yo. It's one of the riskiest things your kids can do -- go in the car every day, that is. So he jolly well better be extra careful.

I have no advice but feel we are married to the same man ...if you get any replies I will read them with interest.

Those adverts on tarrant on tv always get to me, also those 999 programs...couldnt you see if a bit of tv with horrid images would get in his head?....but you know what men are like... i have the same problem, i dont drive, but i always go when he takes the kids out. Just so i can say...slow down. Sorry if this doesnt help much.

Phewwww!! I thought you were all ignoring me for a minute then or I was the only one with an ageing boy racer!!

I'm always reminding dh that cars are dangerous and it doesn't matter if he thinks he's a brilliant driver, it only takes someone else coming the other way thinking the same, to create an accident. Apparently this is nagging and likely to make him go faster.

Like charliecat I normally go out with him in the car so things are ok. I'd love it if dh could take the kids out for 5 minutes without me worrying all the time about what might happen.

Although I wouldn't call my dh a boy racer, he certainly drives faster than I think is safe - especially on motorways. Of course, if I say anything, then it's nagging, despite the fact that he has me and his two dds in the car, and also you (apparently) get an instant ban for going over 100mph.
Our insurance premiums are astronomical - he has had 3 accidents in the last 4 years (all his fault) and 3 speeding tickets in the last year - so he only needs one more, and he'll lose his licence. And guess whose life would be 1000 times more complicated then? Not his, that's for sure.
Hmmmmm that was a bit of a rant, wasn't it.

guess what, we are all married to the same man! I rarely let the kids go in the car with dh driving. When we are out together I almost always do the driving as his driving makes both me and ds puke (car sick). He too has been in 3 accidents (all his fault) in the last 3 years. I have been driving for 24 years and have never had an accident that was my fault. Sorry Angiel, no advice really just lots of empathy. I have gotten my dh to agree to get a less "sporty" car (bribing him with something shiny and new helps), but I don't think it will stop him driving terribly.