Although learner drivers can have lessons on motorways as long as they are with an instructor who has a dual control car, a lot of drivers live too far away from motorways and might not have to drive on them until they have passed their test. It’s partially because of this that out of the 1725 new drivers we asked, 420 of them said they were either not very or not at all confident in driving on them.

If you aren’t confident about driving on the motorway, find someone who is, such as a family member or friend, and ask them to come with you on a practice journey. If you are unable to do this, just remember, they aren’t that different from dual carriageways. The speed limit isn’t higher, and if you don’t want to, you don’t have to use more than the first two lanes. While you build your confidence, most motorways will run alongside smaller roads, which although may be slow, if you feel safer that is what is important.

Once you’ve passed, the idea of facing busy junctions alone can be daunting. One-fifth of the new drivers we surveyed weren’t confident about it either. But, there is nothing to be nervous about it will soon start to come naturally!

When approaching junctions, unless there is a stop sign, you don’t need to stop. Approach at a cautious speed that gives you space to stop if needed. This will help you join the junction with a rolling start to help prevent stalling and make is easier to get up to speed on the new road. You can read our blogs on safely approaching junctions, how to deal with roundabouts and how to join dual carriageways for more tips!

The thought of overtaking is something that a lot of drivers feel uncomfortable about, so as a new driver it is expected that you won’t have much confidence in it. In fact, one-fifth of the ew drivers we asked said they are not very or not at all confident in having to do it! But that’s okay, as it isn’t something that you have to do a lot, and it won’t happen on most journeys. But if you do need to overtake, here are a few things you should know, which will help boost your confidence in the manoeuvre.

If you are overtaking a slow-moving vehicle such as a tractor, be careful, as it can sometimes be difficult to see past the vehicle. As these sorts of vehicles move slowly, the overtake shouldn’t take long, so you don’t have to spend much time on the other side of the road. You always need to make sure that there is more than enough space for you to overtake, and think, if you were a vehicle coming towards you, how would you feel if a car moved out? When moving back in, a good rule to follow is that when you can see the vehicle in your rearview mirror, you have moved far enough past it to pull back across. When overtaking cyclists, always make sure to leave extra space.