Can you - do you - drive?

I do all the driving, but we don’t go anywhere at night unless I’m familiar with the road.

Greyduster- would you be able to afford for you to have your own small car, that you feel comfortable with?

A friend of mine never drives- and is happy for her OH to take the wheel always. But she says that 'at least I could drive if ever there is an emergency' - this scares me to death. Surely, driving for the first time in ages, in an emergency- when panic sets in - is seriously dangerous.

Must say I love driving- and would not have an automatic.

I can and do drive. I don’t enjoy it but if I didn’t drive I wouldn’t go anywhere.

I can drive, but don’t these days. I’m comfortable with smallish cars. DH isn’t, so we have had ever bigger cars and I find them daunting. I don’t even like to take the present one to the village for a dental appointment! If it ever came to the stage where he couldn’t drive, the present beast would have to go.

harrigran, that is what my neighbour said- then she was suddenly widowed, and she was stranded, unable to drive and with very poor public transport.

Perhaps driving licences should be withdrawn for people who do not drive regularly. Again, sorry, but this is serious stuff.

geekesse, I agree- I always find it amazing. Of course there are reasons why someone just can't drive for health reasons. I am also amazed how many who do drive, and have been driving for a long time- will not drive into town, or abroad, or on Motorway, etc.

Many factors come into play- for women older than me (70) - it was often the men that totally discouraged them from driving, or were so critical and shouty when they were learning- that it put them off for life, and they lost all confidence. I do believe it was a form of control over the women - to assert superiority, control- and to stop wives from wanting the car for their own purpose. That was certainly the case for my ex neighbour. He made jolly well sure she was truly put off the idea!

Perhaps also a lack of rôle models - my mother always drove, she learnt very young and was a very competent and adventurous driver. She could drive long before my dad and had her own car before he did, for her work.

So, question - how many here had mothers who did not drive?

There is a nagging question in my head. If someone, of any sex- is not confident about driving to town or on MWay- should they be driving at all?

I drive where I live it is no good relying on public transport
I dont tend to drive on motorways as we only use them when going away and my husband is not a good passenger suffers from travel sickness unless driving
Would not fancy doing a big shop on public transport

My husband loves to drive so I am happy to let him - much of the time. But I make sure I do both short and long drives as I know it is easy to lose confidence and I really don't want to end up feeling unable to drive further than the doctor's surgery, or, in the pre-covid world, to the shop. So I do some long journeys - but am happy to be a passenger often and do crosswords!

I do drive and still love it. These days it's mostly just in the west country, but I have driven abroad many times in the past.
It's my life line really, living alone in the country.

Passed my test forty years ago but I never drive. DH always had a very large car and worked away from home so I was used to using public transport.
When he retired he went for even bigger cars, like driving a tank so I flutter my eyelashes and let him drive me everywhere.
People ask what I would do if DH couldn't drive, we would get taxis. It is cheaper to get a taxi than keep a gas guzzler on your drive especially when you go out infrequently.

several people around here have bought plug-in electric cars.
they have quite a lot of money.
they have a special charging point installed at the front of their house. and there is a public charge point at the end of the road.
what i really object is people who have cables trailed across the footpath. one near here even has space to pull in in front of house but can't be bothered. nearer to town it is more difficult, v few with space out front, but then they should find a proper charging point on the road.

I never learned to drive, never wanted to, I would have made a very nervous driver. My husband was 31 before he decided to learn.

I learnt to drive in an old Army LandRover on my cousins farm but never took my test until my youngest son needed transport to school since then I have never been without a car until these past 7 mths when I sold the family car.
I am looking for something small and nippy when the isolation period is over but will not worry if something does not catch my eye.

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Passed my driving test at 30 - the day before Princess Diana died - I had to overcome my anxiety as I drove my Corsa - 2 motorway lessons later and I was on the road to Edge Hill Uni - praying to my Guardian Angels - there are some awful drivers out there - stay safe everyone ??

I can drive but don't now because of having rheumatoid arthritis. To be honest I should have stopped when I reached menopause as I turned into a swearing, beeping, speed freak ?

I'd much rather my DH drove. He's a better driver and can read the road better than I can. He also is much more spatially aware.

I don't drive, never wanted to, even as a teenager. I've always relied on public transport or DH driving. My children and grandchildren all passed their test as soon as they were old enough. But I know women who only drive from their home to one or two destinations, no motorway driving, no night driving, no wet/windy weather driving etc .

I learnt to drive in mid-20s (quite late compared with peers), 40 years ago. Pre-COVID I could manage driving 200 miles in a day. Ten years ago I could manage 500 in a day. But no way could I have done those without a lot of motorway driving.
My Achilles heel now is night driving when the road is unlit. I can't think of a friend my age who isn't currently drive.

I am 79 and have been driving for over 50 years. In January I had several panic attacks and thought I may have to give up. this would have been a disaster as DH drives very rarely after a stroke.
So eventually in February I saw the Doctor who was very comforting and probably saw the whole thing was part and parcel of anxiety relating to caring for DH. He gave me some medication and I agreed to put on my big girl pants and get back to short journeys. With lockdown and less traffic I have managed to get back on the road and cut down on the medication.
The nerves still flutter a little in the background but I am determined as my social life of two outings a week would disappear - that is if we ever get back to normal life again.

MIL is 74. Doesn't drive. She relies on her reluctant husband to take her everywhere. It's a codependent relationship. Same with my both my grannies!

I had to pick DS up from a town about 10 miles away. Realised I hadn't driven, or even been in a car, for nearly three months. wondered if it would be a problem but I just slipped straight back into it...

I love driving over 70 but any long distance driving I do as my husband does not like night driving .Had cataract surgery a few years back got it done before NHS did Lots of restrictions as I needed to commute for work at night .No buses in rural Somerset at night after 7pm and Sundays so heaven help mothers who have poorly children at night and need to drive to A and E

No, I can't drive, and it's not because I didn't try.

I had almost 100 quite a few lessons and two tests, then decided that something that caused me (and probably others on the road) that amount of anxiety wasn't worth persevering with.

I'm not sure I would have driven, even if I had passed my test.