Driving on the motorway for the first time

I'm planning on taking myself and a few mates to see Hampshire play Surrey at the rosebowl, Southampton. But it involves going on a stretch of the motorway for a short distance. Now i personally dont have to big-a-problem with this as i'm a confident driver, but i've been told that the first time on a motorway is a scary experience? (Btw im not doing pass plus or anything)

Ive been told that the biggest problems i'll have, is dealing with slip roads and keeping up with speed. But i know if im gunna have any problems, it'll be that i dont know which lane to be in on approach to the motorway, and what lane to go in/stay in after exiting the roundabout.

Can anybody share their experiences of the first time on the motorway, and do i have anything to fear?

Cheers in advance

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Reply 1

hugsnkisses

i would not worry stick to 70ish and stay in the left hand lane, you will be fine.
Make sure you keep an eye on the signs so you don't miss your turning, other than that it is plain sailing!
I went on the motorway 2days after i passed my test i really shocked my mum, it was fine, i was even using a map so you should be fine.

Reply 2

musicalfruit

Hey! Yeah I found driving on the motorway a little daunting the first time I did it, because everyone else knows exactly what they're doing and look at you like you're an idiot if you do even the slightest thing wrong! (Woah.. long sentence!) Luckily I had my dad in the passenger seat so I felt more comfortable than I would have done on my own. I live near Southampton so I've driven on that motorway quite a lot, and to be honest, it's quite tame compared to some :wink:

Lanes and exits can be really annoying to get the hang of, but if you've got your friends in the car with you, get them to make sure you know where you're going and which signs you need to follow. That way, they can get the blame if you go the wrong way :wink:

When you're getting on to the motorway, most drivers are nice and move over to the middle/inside lane to let you catch up to their speed. Try and use the slip road to get to the same speed as the traffic on the motorway so you don't cause chaos behind you. If you're worried about speed, just stay in the slow lane :smile:

I'm sure you'll be fine though because you're a confident driver. Good luck! Sorry this is such a ramble btw!

Reply 3

sexysax

The first time I went on a motorway my stepdad was in the car. I found it ok to be honest, and once you've done it a few times you soon get used to it.

Reply 4

tbm

Just make sure you keep an eye on the signs and any arrows on the road directing to to be in a specific lane, dont leave it too late to get into the correct lane/turn off etc. And keep your distance from the cars in front in case of having to stop suddenly in traffic jams etc. Keep your eye out for buses/lorries- a lot of them seem to pull out without warning, just assuming that you're going to let them in.

I dont think you'll have any problems, you'll get used to it.

Reply 5

username68316

Thanks for the advice everyone. I'll make sure ive got a mate whos been on the motorway before in the front seat so i can make him do the sign/directional work! I really wasnt worried until loads of people came telling me how hard it was :smile:

. Musicalfruit, I also leave nr soton (did my test there, had a right prick as an examiner!!) so it'll be that stretch of motorway that goes from redbridge roundabout to B&Q to begin with!

Reply 6

SuperhansFavouriteAlsatian

When you get really good you can fly from the slip lane to the outside lane across 4 lanes in one swift manoucre. HARDCORE!

Reply 7

Elz

driving on a motorway is easy. The more fuss you make out of it tho the more difficult you will think it to be, so the best advice I can offer is to not worry about it whatsoever :biggrin:

Reply 8

L0RA

Just imagine it as a dual carriageway with an extra lane :wink:

Seriously theres nothing to worry about. The second time i went on a motorway it was to drive from Birmingham to Newquay.. now that was fun :biggrin:

Reply 9

donvito

Motorways are fun to drive on, and providing there is not much traffic, it is easier then driving on normal roads as there is no stopping/starting. Just watch out for speed limits :biggrin:

Reply 10

suzzjj

for a new driver on the motorway is not easy.... :nn:

Reply 11

tbm

I drove on the motorway about a week after I passed my test and didnt have any problems. In fact, I loved it! :smile:

Reply 12

ally-w

best tip i ever got was where there is a slip road there is going to be cars coming onto the motorway a little further down so keep your eyes open and be ready to move across to let cars join the motorway x x

Reply 13

Creepy

I ususally put my foot down on the slip road and indicate right, then get into the middle/outside lane as quick as poss to avoid getting stuck between lorries.

Make sure to check BOTH Blind spots when you change lanes, just incase.

Reply 14

L0RA

Theres no need to move out of the inside lane if theres no traffic though :wink:

Its common sence when you're on a motorway... dont pull out on someone if they're coming up quickly behind you and dont leave the inside lane unless you have something to overtake.

Reply 15

pghstochaj

I NEVER pull out onto a busy motorway and pull straight into the second lane practically immedately, it's not fair on others and is a reason why junctions slow traffic - people coming off slip roads thinking that they can move out and so what about the car doing 90 which has to slow for you. I always spend a good 20-30 seconds getting comfortable to the speed and the 'vibe' on that section of road and then get ready to progress. I would never advise a new driver to do anything other than that.

Reply 16

silent ninja

Once you get going, you'll find it easy. Keep two hands on the steering especially when it rains-- I've nearly lost the steering a couple of times to puddles that appeared out of nowhere! A quick 'jerk' to the steering.

Mirrors/quick glance when you're moving out to overtake or cut back in. You'll have to overtake lorries.

Its way easier than city driving but on longer journeys there is the tendency to lose concentration.

Reply 17

fez

its just like a dual carriageway but bit bigger, hardest part is getting on from the slip road, nail it as fast as you can go down the slip lane, keep it in 3rd or 4th until your safely on the motorway so youve got the power to go.

when going down the slip lane as well, look backward onto lane 1, whack your indicator on, if thers some1 there, they should move into lane 2, if they dont, just nail it, you might have to get up to 90mph sometimes to get safely infront of the cars on lane 1.

but the main thing, low gears, just rev it like hell to get to speed.

i went on motorway bringing car back from sheffield first time id driven for about 7 weeks when i did my test.

i nailed the hell out of it after that, gotta see how fast it has, needless to say i topped it out. wudda been instant ban tho as i wasnt far off double the limit.

Reply 18

fez

as for 2 hands on wheel, hmm not really essential i find. its rare you have to turn more than 1/6ths of a turn.

but if its wet, stay in lane2, lane 1 has big grooves where the lorries compress the road, which causes puddles can be a bit slidey

most important tho, look ahead as far as you can aswell helps to improve fuel consumption as u dont want to be braking

Reply 19

Luize

I haven't passed yet but have driven on a duel carriage way that has 3-4 lanes each way. It was easy. I doubt a motorway would be different as the speed limit is the same, slip roads are the same etc etc. Just remember blind spots when joining/overtaking and if you are nervous look for big gaps.
As people have said most people will move out of the way if they see your indicator.