Learning Point 420 | Stress Free Driving

Anyone else expecting an Audi driver to overtake when slowing down for the sheep? :D

Many years ago, as a truck driver, I made a very conscious decision not to let driving stress me out, and once cruise control came along, it got even easier, set the cruise a little slower than other traffic on motorways, and let it all pass me by. In towns, avoid "having to be" away from the lights quick, or through the lights before they change, or past that bicycle, etc etc. It really made my job a lot better. Even when others do crazy stuff around me, I let it go, everyone can make a mistake, and none of us are perfect, we don't know what the other road user's day has been like, or what is on their minds. Let it go, it is so liberating when you do. I'm fully retired now, and hardly drive at all, a couple of trips into town each week, and 3 or 4 long journeys each year is my lot.

Fell asleep watching this while driving.

It might be less stressful, but it's worth keeping in mind that rural roads come with their own set of dangers, ones that most drivers aren't trained for and channels like this don't tend to cover much. The obvious ones from this video are sheep and potholes, but there's plenty of others - suicidal pheasants, touring coaches, unexpectedly narrowing roads, people driving like it's a rally stage, tourists, tourists and their caravans, farm vehicles and activity, mud and/or water, and many others, all exasperated by people driving much faster because they think open means safe.

And then suddenly, some bloke on a brand new Triumph motorbike wizzed past and scared the living daylights out of me........

Took me less than 4 seconds to recognise St Mary's Loch and Loch of the Lowes at Tibbie Shiels. Gorgeous spot in the Scottish Borders! The sheep are notorious on that road - it must be the salt

Reminds me of the lockdown in march/april 2020, i was driving daily with no one else in sight, the best driving of my life.

I live in East Sussex and there’s plenty of nicely empty roads that are a slightly more demanding drive than the main routes but are 75% emptier. And the mileage may be shorter but the journey time ends up similar. So much more pleasant, and you have to drive the road not just follow the car in front.

Was I the only motorcyclist watching this, that had to keep tilting my head to feel like was leaning round the bends?

Once met an oncoming Luton van on my side of that very road, he was filming the scenery with his mobile!

Anyone here remember a six part tv series back in 2009 called "Britain's Best Drives"? It starred actor Richard Wilson (aka Victor Meldrew from One Foot in the Grave) travelling across the UK by reviewing the best driving roads from a motoring guide of the 1950s. In each episode he drove a different car of the period. It was a most interesting series. The episodes are all here on YT.

I'm from Norfolk so not as wild as this but still reasonably similar. My normal drive to work is straightforward with occasional tractors. This weekend we took the kids to Legoland and I drove along the M25 for the first time - I was on edge the whole time, saw three crashes, traffic jams, terrible speeding and weaving through traffic. How people deal with it every day is beyond me.

I'm thinking the learning point is to expect the unexpected no matter how stress free you feel on a country road, and you are the only traffic.

How to enjoy stress free driving: 1) Move to the Highlands of Scotland or similar vast area of low population 2) stay well behind any vehicle in front by observing a two minute gap. 3) Drive at a speed which requires the reactions of a sloth. 4) Do not use the brakes unless going down hill; simply easing off the gas should be sufficient if your speed and anticipation are appropriate. 5) Dealing with tail gaters…If another vehicle appears in your rear view mirror pull over and stop until they go away. 👍

Learning Point 420, aye, pass the dutchie by the left-hand-side 😎😂

Quite a few pot-holes on that road, that's going to trigger a lot of drivers. 🙂

Nice and relaxing and how I try to imagine all my journeys (I do fail on occasions)…complete with “sheep” not using a proper crossing point 😉

I just came back from a road trip from the Highlands to home (London). Will miss the roads there!

Taking a train through the countryside would make for an awesome weekend getaway from city pollution and stress. 🤗

Im from there, he started at the little cafe near St Marys Loch sailing club and started heading south towards Moffat. (In Scottish Borders)