Do you drive?

Yes - I learned to drive at 17 and am now 78. Can’t imagine being without a car - one day I guess, I shall have to .... that will be a bad day - I love driving.

My non driving daughter not dad

I’ve driven since 1970 my 17th birthday. My driving lessons were 10/- for an hour and petrol 3/6 a gallon. I couldn’t manage without a car my non driving dad says I sounded snobby the other day when we were on a bus as I kept saying I hate busses.
Statistics say there are fewer young people driving now due to the costs and congestion. However I’ve loved to be able to just jump into my car and drive off. Best feeling ever.

I’m 72 have had my license since my 30s, I live in a village where it would be hard to be without transport. I love driving and have just bought a brand new car!
My mother is 94 and she still drives too.
It gives you independence: used to share a car with my husband when I was married but was delighted to have my own car when we divorced over 20 years ago!

I am 76, and never learnt to drive.
I was never encouraged to drive when I was young. Women then, for some reason just didn’t drive. My mother never learnt either.

I briefly attempted to learn in 1982, but for some reason gave it up. I now cannot remember why.
I’m quite happy now I don’t drive as there are so many maniacs on the road.

I have had my licence since 18, now 87 and a clean licence it is. Living where I do there is no public transport so I need my car. Also if I need to take one of my pets to the Vet, for instance, taxis don't accommodate carrying them. My car is my lifeline to to the outside world.

when I was younger,I'm 70 now,not so many learned to drive.When my son and daughter were old enough,they learned,more were doing it by then.My husband could drive,so I always had use of a car.It's only now I'm by myself that I've wished I'd learned.But then again,I would be struggling to afford to run a car,so I have to rely on family,or bus pass.I know women my age who only do short journeys now,but they still have the expense.

Further to Shandy57s remarks above, I think a significant number of women in the past went out to work primarily to afford to be able to own, and drive, a second car.

Personally as a man I have never driven. I am far too erratic and would be lethal in a car. For me my bike, public transport and walking have always been more than good enough ways of getting about and I have worked all over the place. I have NEVER felt the lack of that particular skill to be any way limiting, although I will admit that for supermarket shopping, the fact that my wife can run us there and put all the groceries in the boot, is a definite advantage.

I love the independence my car gives me. Passed my car test at 24, and my motorbike test a few months later, although I haven't ridden a motorbike for 25 years. My 33 year old son doesn't drive, although he is now acknowledging he should learn - living in London there's a bus or a train within a mile. However, I've moved out of London into a tiny village in Lincolnshire in the last 3 months, and would struggle without my car. While car insurance has dramatically gone down with the change of address, petrol costs and my usage have spiralled!

I am seriously considering updating my driving skills. In London, you drive for a couple of minutes and there's a junction, or a traffic light, or a crossing to stop at. Now I drive for 30 minutes without a pause .. and in Lincolnshire the dead wildlife on the road troubles me - I'd hate to kill an animal, and I'm currently driving 25 miles to the nearest Station two days a week at dawn and dusk on unlit roads. Nightmare.

I am proud I passed my test. Neither of my parents drove, neither of my sisters drive - we couldn't afford a car when I was a child, and again, London Transport is exceptional (most days).

Just collected my 'new' used car today. My last one was with me for 12 years. It became an extension of my body. So easy to drive.
Today, even after a long lesson from friendly Max I haven't a clue what all the buttons are for.
Scared I might press the ejector seat button by accident!

Yes. My late mother, born in 1916, also drove. She even used American highways when she lived there, aged 44-51. My daughter drove here and now in Australia.

My Mum tried but gave up learning to drive (my Dad was not a patient teavcher), but my 4 sisters and I all drive. I passed my test at 18. Am glad I can drive now as I live 12 miles from shops and the local buses are few and far between.

I learned at 17, mostly because my father needed someone to pick him up from the ship at all hours of the day and night when he docked.
I have never regretted learning and still enjoy driving. I found myself with a floater in one eye a year ago and thought that was the beginning of the end for me as a driver, but it wasn't. Actually my brain has accommodated my floater and I rarely notice it.
Some years back I even passed the mini bus test. The actual test was on a freezing day in January with icy roads and a heater in the test centre mini bus that didn't work. I had to scrape the inside windscreen as I went along. I surprised myself that day.

I drive both here and abroad, though I found some motorways round Amsterdam really scary. Had to go to IKEA there for a rest!
I don’t like driving in Birmingham in the rain at night though.

BlueBelle

I ve never driven and feel no loss and no it’s not all women both my male boss and two male workers in their thirtie/ forties don’t drive …neither my mum or dad drove and no one in my family owned a car my best friend has never driven either
I walk cycle or use my free bus pass I spend a LOT less money than drivers and I don’t pollute the world maybe I ve got it right
All my children learnt to drive at 17

It's not really a matter of 'getting it right' though is it? There are places so isolated that it could be impossible to exist without a car. I think that a driving licence is like a qualification that you can choose to use or not but I don't think some kind of moral high ground comes into it at all. It's just a matter of circs.

I drive, but don't really enjoy it anymore. My parents never learnt to drive and neither did my sister. I ended up the taxi for all the family, even taking aunts and uncles to hospital appointments, shopping, etc. I used to love going a run in the car for the day, but now I can't be bothered, traffic is crazy and so are some of the eejits on the roads and don't get me started in the price of fuel for the car either.....

I had my first driving lesson at 17. The instructor told my parents that, because of my ‘drop foot’ and other consequences of polio’ when I was an infant, it would be dangerous for me to drive. So, that was that. I did bring up the idea of me driving , from time to time, but they were so panicked by the thought that I gave up. After they died, I did learn but never passed my test. I should have done it in my youth but it was too stressful for them. All my siblings drive.

Yes I’m 72 have driven since I was 17. I’m probably a bit more cautious these days!

Most of my friends around my age (67) drive, though a have a few older friends who don't. I don't particularly enjoy driving long distances, especially on my own, so often have to book an overnight stop. Having said that I recently drove my daughter from Edinburgh to home just outside London after she broke her ankle on a Scottish mountain! I managed that ok though I had her for company, even if she was 'working' in the back seat. I had to turn the music off for her meetings and phone calls!
I have younger friends who seem surprised that I will tackle a long journey as they only do pottering locally. I do try to limit myself to about 200 miles in one go, and avoid night time driving on unfamiliar roads.
When I was married my ex did most of the long distance driving and only let me drive if he was really tired. He did all the short local driving if we went anywhere together but I was expected to drive home if he wanted to drink! Since my divorce I had to get used to long distance driving again but I've taken it in my stride. I can't imagine how I would cope without being able to drive and having a car!

I've been driving since I was 17. Dread ever losing my wheels, as I see them as independence. Covid lockdowns knocked my confidence but now back to normal!

I learned to drive in the 1970s and used to drive a lot, including long distance. When DH retired 20+ years ago he took over the driving (he hated being driven). Foolishly I let this happen. I drove less and less to the point where I haven't driven for over a year now. Fortunately we live very close to all facilities in our town and have good transport links on our doorstep but I regret letting my driving lapse. The last two years of Covid have also been a knock to my confidence and as I approach the end of my 70s I don't feel I can pick up driving again. In retrospect I see how stupid I was to let DH dominate the driving role. A warning to others.

Yes. I am approaching 66, passed my test when I was 17. I also ride a motorcycle, passed my test on that when I was 50, and passed an advanced test on that 4 years ago.
I would detest having to rely on anyone else to drive me about, or on the notoriously expensive and unreliable buses we have in Bristol.

We live in a village so I tend to drive everywhere. I enjoy driving and like the spontaneity of heading off whenever I want but probably wouldn’t bother if I lived in a city. I’m due to get my bus pass later this year but will probably only use it occasionally- going into the city which is a nightmare to park in etc.

I drive, after sitting my test 8 times!, and although I hate every minute it is very conveninent because my family live 30 miles away.

I know a few women in their seventies who have never learned to drive. One says, although she is now alone, she can always find somebody to give her a lift, which is cheaper than bus or train. I call this selfish because she never offers something towards petrol, and asks for a lift instead of being offered!