Motorway driving advice

GrammarGirl

Try not to use your brakes. Obviously, DO use them if you're slowing from 70 to 40 or something like that, but don't get right up behind someone doing 65 then slam them on. Judge your distance, take your foot off the accelerator if needed and overtake when safe. Applying the brakes slows everyone behind you down as they all brake to accommodate you.

Armengar

Dont focus on the car ahead either, make sure you are looking in the distance. Pay attention to variable speed limits on certain motorways too. Dont worry about people up your !!!! if you are genuinely overtaking. Dont panic!

GrammarGirl

Armengar wrote: »

Dont worry about people up your !!!! if you are genuinely overtaking.

And ignore those who flash their lights behind you 5 times as you're overtaking 3 lorries at 85. Happened to me this morning... where did he want me to go?!

JoeA81

I would say that if you are worried about getting lost at junctions and interchanges, then the single most useful thing for you to learn is the general locations of the motorways (and where they meet each other) in the area you will be travelling. This is becuase many junctions indicate the direction they are sending you, by referring to other motorways which are in that direction. If you have a basic idea of where the major motorways are in relation to each other then it gives you a much better geographical fix on where you are and where you need to go.

el_gringo_3

Best bit of advice I can give is to plan your first routes in advance and make sure you know which lane you want to be in when motorways merge.

The only part of motorway driving I find at all difficult is when several slip roads join together with very little warning. A good example is the M621/M62/M1 linkup just south of Leeds - if you go from the roundabout, heading for Leeds you end up on a two laned slip road that another slip road joins onto, followed by people slowing down to change from M621 to M1 and vice-versa. Fine if your aware of it, but a nightmare if you happen to have people who don't know the road to the right and left!

DKLS

Premier wrote: »

It's not just the driving on the motorway to be worried about, but the driving in London when you arrive! :eek:
A whole new experience to the uninitiated.

I love driving in London, its like the wacky races :eek:

Premier_2

GrammarGirl wrote: »

And ignore those who flash their lights behind you 5 times as you're overtaking 3 lorries at 85. Happened to me this morning... where did he want me to go?!

Perhaps it was plod signalling for you to pull over to the hard shoulder at a safe & convienient time so he could book you for speeding! :eek:

Bowdyjan18

GrammarGirl wrote: »

where did he want me to go?!

out the !!!!!!! way

jackieb

mandyboops1973 wrote: »

hi guys

i have been driving for 4 years and i have never been on the motor way!

I've been driving for 22 years and have never driven on a motorway either so don't feel too bad. I drive a lot (800 miles in the past fortnight) so it's not like I don't drive. There's just no motorways anywhere near me.

Dave101t

motorways are the easiest places to drive.
usually, everyone is at a similar speed, no real cutting people off.
no chance of idiots joining from a side road too slow.
all exits signposted very clearly, and if you miss a junction, its usually only 5 mins up the road to the next exit to turn around!