Motorway Driving Lesson

I had to travel up to Reading recently on the M4 motorway, and from my experience, I would advise any newly qualified driver to think about having a motorway driving lesson with an ADI before venturing out alone on a UK motorway.



Motorways are supposed to be the safest roads to drive on, but the attitude of the many drivers I encountered yesterday, means that safety is last thing on many driver's mind, they are so in a hurry to get where they are going, that they forget about all the common sense rules they were taught when they were learning to drive. The most common problem encountered was tail-gating where a car drives so close behind you, that all you can see in through your rear windscreen is a big car or van. The stopping distance for a car travelling at 70mph (the speed limit on a motorway) is 96 metres (315 feet), yet you will see cars leaving as little as a 2 metre gap between it and the car in front, and they are also travelling at speeds well in excess of the 70mph speed limit.

I was in a driving school branded vehicle, but that in no way contributed to the cause of the tail-gating, these drivers are just in the habit of being in a hurry and want everyone to get at out their way on the motorway.

Another problem you will encounter on the motorway that you need driving lessons to deal with is people changing lanes without properly making sure that it is safe to do so. Because of the aforementioned problem of tail-gaiting or inadequate separation distance, I always leave a large safety gap between myself and the car in front of me, however cars in the left hand lane when I'm overtaking them see this gap as their cue to flick the indicators and move immediately in front of me regardless of the fact that it is not safe, causing me to have to slow down to get back my safety buffer zone.

You will also encounter people overtaking you and then immediately cutting in front of your car. If you happen to have recently passed your test, and find yourself having to drive on the motorway, then here are a few tips to keep to safe.

It is better to arrive late, than to never arrive, so leave enough time for you to complete your motorway journey. No matter what other road users are doing, speed limits are there for your own safety, so obey them.

Use the 2 second rule to make sure you have a safe gap between you and the car in front of you, if a car pulls into your safety gap, slow down and regain the gap.

Always drive on the left, and use the middle or right hand lanes for overtaking only, making sure that when you move back into the left lane you give the overtaken car enough space. A good way of knowing this is to wait until the overtaken vehicle appears in the left mirror.

Because every other driver is doing something, doesn't make it right or safe, do not tail gate, or try to intimidate other road users by driving close behind them on the motorway.

Do not drive when you are tired, if you start to feel sleepy, wind down the windows to allow some fresh air in, and stop at the nearest motorway service station, DONT stop on the hard shoulder.

There is more information about motorway driving in the DSA's The Official Driving Manual .

If you would like to book a 2hr motorway driving lesson with me in north London that would take you on the M1 or M25 then give me a call on 07956233032.