Should I drive again after 15 years?

Not sure of your age but at 70 we need to reapply for a licence. It’s easy and quick, done online.

I would really urge you to start again. I think so very important for a lady to drive. Best thing I ever did. Good luck with it.

I tried driving again recently and had not driven since the 80s. I had an hour long refresher lesson before driving alone. I lasted 2 months and gave up. I HATED it! Other drivers are so crazy! The traffic is appalling everywhere and I was just a bag of nerves! I'll stick to my bicycle and the bus thank you!

Nissan Micra is a great little car and automatic too. Highly reccomend.

A friend in a similar situation a few years ago took a job she needed to drive to. We spent many days traveling places to allow her to gain confidence, sometimes me taking her there first then her driving there. She is still not a confident driver, meaning she won't drive further than 30 miles, use motorways or venture somewhere new on her own but she's ok and safe. Please do lessons or have a friend to go places with you , go for it

I'd suggest a few refresher lessons with a driver who specialises in automatics if I were you and then why not try a semi-automatic LadyBella? You get the best of both worlds. Driving can be a pleasure with less to think about.

I drive a little Smart for Two and it's great. It has a lovely system - you can drive in automatic and the letter 'A' is on the dashboard or press a little button on the auto shift which gives you the number of the gear you're in. You push this lever up to go up a gear and down to go down a gear. All very logical - if you see a big hill coming up you respond accordingly and Bob's your Uncle.

I drive an automatic now. I am almost 80 and have been driving for almost 60 years, but I love the automatic. Once it's in drive you just need to think about steering and braking.. I would say have a few lessons then go for it.

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

You won’t know until you try, I don’t think anyone can advise, everyone is different, just book refresher lessons and see how you feel behind the wheel if you feel confident enough go for it

I never have a need to go very far, but last year the County Council sent a letter out saying you could ring to book a driving instructor who would appraise your driving. I don’t particularly want to kill anyone, so I booked it and a very nice lady came and sat in the car for an hour, we went places I didn’t know existed and at the end she told me she thought my driving was very good. I feel much more confident now. She did say, however, that she found it was the people who WERE all right who booked the hour, NOT the ones who had problems.

I have a few friends who won’t drive because their husbands bought big cars. I can’t help feeling that this is a subtle way of keeping the ‘little woman’ in her place. Personally there would have been a hell of a fuss kicked up if my DH had done this.
Many women let themselves get into the position of their husbands doing all the driving. If they are then widowed they often find that they no longer have the nerve to get back behind the wheel. This often leads to them having problems with their everyday activities.
Keep on driving, ladies!

Our car is an automatic fiesta for the very reason that I am short and dont like big cars. We are both extremely happy with it. If my dh wanted a big car we would have to have two.

Agree with greengran re keeping on driving, I have said in another post that I avoid motorways these days but know how important it is to keep on driving.

I am driving again after 30 years. My darling husband made sure that I got a car that I could manage before he passed away. I got it this time last year and obviously I haven’t driven very much in lockdown, but the other week I drove to the coast to spend a week with my family. That’s the furthest I have ever driven and I would do it again. Go for it. You will have so much more freedom.

I have never had a problem with driving big cars, in our case, Volvo and SAAB estate cars, and I am quite sure I could handle a big 4x4 or SUV if required to.

What is it women find so intimidating. Theey all have power steering and adjustable seats and at 5' 4'', now shrunk to 5' 2'', they cause me no problems. I have driven them towing a trailer and the roof rack stacked.

I think too many women feel nervous and then chicken out of trying because there is no loss of face if you do so, while men, nervous or not, have a go and find it not difficult to master a bigger car, anything rather than wimp out and admit they cannot hack it.

I too love big cars. Agree with you Monica the Volvo estates, wonderful cars to drive.
I enjoyed driving our VW camper. That was also a left hand drive. I can't manage the motohome we have now as I'm 5' and the seat won't go any further forward so I don't feel in control. Although in an emergency I would.

Two year ago I was involved in an accident and now suffer a TBI. I had to quit driving and now take public transportation or rely on friends. In the past I traveled cross country 3x just me and the dog. I am with the other gals who say take a refresher course and then just drive around the block a few times to get the feel of things again. Then once you're comfortable you can go to the next block etc. Good luck and let us now!

Taking into account the cost of a car, insurance, tax and petrol a reliable taxi could be an option.

Do it! It will do wonders for your confidence as well x

My MiL passed her driving test in her fifties and continued to drive until she was in her eighties. She was on her own and it gave her a real sense of freedom as well as the ability to visit her grown up children and grandchildren. As others have said, take some refresher lessons, pick your drive times carefully so you mainly go out quiet times of the day initially, as night driving is usually harder at first, and definately consider an automatic. The Nissan Micra and the Ford Fiesta and Toyota Auris are reliable cars, and all have automatic versions. Make sure you know how the lights and windscreen wipers work even if you don't plan to drive in rain or in the dark. It would be worth getting an insurance quote via a price comparison site as you won't have any no claims bonus but you need to factor in this cost.

Wishing you many happy years of motoring in your little car.

I have retired from being a driving instructor with over thirty years of teaching experience. You never forget how to drive, but returning to it again after a long period of time take depends a lot on your age now, how much you drove before and how confident you were then.
Go to a reputable driving school for an assessment in one of their dual controlled cars.

I have a small car and am happy driving locally. We don't have to travel far to see family and friends all within a 20 mile radius. I am quite confident but know my limitations. Defo won't drive on a motorway, too many others, it scares me. Longer journeys done by train or coach If going to the airport i would arrange a taxi or pay someone to take and collect me.

Well I've taken the first step. Going to try out 2 cars tomorrow, both automatics. I must say I totally agree with the poster who said to consider the environment. That is what has stopped me from doing this before as I am very concerned about the environment and feel guilty about getting a 2nd car. I also take the point about taxis which is a good one especially bearing in mind all the running costs of a car. But I think I'll give it a try and see how I get on. I'm 70 so it's now or never and perhaps I may drive for another 5 years or so. Like a lot of posters here, I will only drive locally and never on motorways. Feeling nervous but will let you know how I get on. I very much appreciate everyone's helpful and sound advice.

I am pleased you are going to test drive some cars. Try more than two different makes. . Before I bought my last one I must have tried five different makes. I discovered then, a car I really thought of buying had a small back window and another did not feel secure in the motorway. Choose the one you like and are the most confortable with. My biggest problem was persuading the young sales men in each garage that I wanted a more powerful engine than they thought I needed, as I didn’t just want to poodle around town. Last year I (69) drove from Versailles up and around Scotland, down to Dawlish before Dover and home in my polo.
If you are worried about owning two cars, sell DH’s.

Go for an Automatic - it will change your life, as it did mine.

Just to let you all know I've bought a small automatic. I have driven it a few times with DH who is very helpful. My confidence is returning. Thank you so much, everyone. I'm sure I'll be fine after a couple more weeks of "training". This morning we did positioning the car at the white line. Tomorrow it's parking.