Did your Mum ever drive?

My mother was a great driver and drove from being a very young woman. She taught a friend to drive over one summer and loved driving. Her mother didn't drive as far as I am aware.

My mother could drive but we were a one car family and my father took the car to work. She rarely drove when we were children. My MIL drove a lot. By contrast, I'm the main driver in the family, though we share it quite well.

My mother couldn’t drive, nor my granny.

She drove a tractor whilst in the Land Army but never drove a car

My Dad tried to teach my Mum when I was a young child but she only had one lesson and gave up. Mainly because she lost control of the car at a junction on a (fortunately deserted) country road. The car shot across the road and we ended up in the grass verge.

They both got a fright and words were exchanged. Mum told Dad where he could put his Ford Cortina ( and it wasn’t the garage!)

Grannynannywanny love it! I had a few lessons with my OH and ended up walking.

My dad had a motorbike but gave it up both my parents did not drive they could not afford a car.

Neither of my parents drove. It didn’t even cross their radar.
Dad worked a 20 minute walk from home. The town centre was a ten minute walk. The supermarket delivered the groceries. The bread van came around twice a week and the fish van on a Friday. There was a corner shop at either end of our street. A car for days out wasn’t considered because we didn’t have days out, or holidays.
I learned to drive in my late teens but then let it go.
I did my test when I was 26 and just pregnant and passed first time.
My son took driving lessons when he was 17 and in Upper Sixth. He also passed first time.

I was the first female to drive a car in both my families except for my great aunt (born 1890) who lived in America and drove a car during the 1930s.

My mum couldn’t, she would ride a bike but she didn’t think road rules applied to her so I am glad she didn’t drive a car.

My mum passed her test at 40 and drove a car till she broke her wrist in a fall, my dad had a motor bike.

My mum never drove, she had a couple of lessons with my father but he was too impatient so she didn't continue.

I got my licence at 17 and drove both manual and automatic cars for years but I haven't driven now for many years and think I would be too nervous to try now.

I did drive for a while when my father was sick and dying as I needed to drive mum around but when he died that was it. I don't miss driving as I was always nervous on the road.

No one in my family drove because we never had any money for a car or went anywhere to need one
Dad cycled everywhere
I have never had a car or driven and I cycle everywhere too
(or walk) Mum had a cycle but didn’t use it that much
I bought Dad his last cycle for his 80 th birthday
At 83 he said I don’t think I ll go on the road any more I feel a bit unsafe my dad was such a uncomplicated sensible man, he gave his cycle to the next door neighbour
I often wonder if I ll stop riding before I m Dads age

All my children passed their driving test at 18 and had their own cars

Both my parents passed their tests in 1950 in NZ after 8 lessons each - all they could afford having bought an old Austin car which always broke down.
After my dad died in 1954 and we came to the UK, mum drove but was very keen for us to take over and with the promise of a camping holiday in France, I passed my test aged 18 (a few more than 8 lessons) so we shared the driving and had a fantastic 3 week road trip over the Alps to Yugoslavia. 5 of us in a VW Beetle with the roof rack piled high. Mum continued to drive, always a Beetle, until she was over 80 and gave her DGD her car.

Mum had a collection of Dinky cars, allegedly for the DGC to play with when they visited but really for herself. I have Granny's cars now!

They both got a fright and words were exchanged. Mum told Dad where he could put his Ford Cortina ( and it wasn’t the garage!)

DH and I are still giggling at this, Grannynannywanny! ?

Neither my grandmother nor my mother drove but I couldn’t wait to learn and still enjoy driving now. Just as well, as DH lives in France, where he’s in a bad way with back pain. We were in need of a good laugh, even though it hurts him to do so! Thank you! ?

My mother never learnt to drive, and neither have I. I had a few lessons but loathed it, and quickly realised it just wasn’t for me. My father drove from the early 1940s. We got our first car in 1943 when I was 3. I am told I stood in the back shaking the driving seat and said “Make it go!”. That has been my attitude ever since.

My mother could ride a bike but I never saw her do so. She walked everywhere or used public transport, as did I. I am also a great user of taxis, which my mother would have regarded as a great extravagance. It’s actually cheaper than buying and running a car.

When my children were growing up I read that driving was a very important skill in the job market, so they both had lessons as soon as they were old enough, and both passed first time.

We never had a car, didn’t have the money and went nowhere.
I had a couple of lessons at 18 but still no car . At 26 and pregnant I passed my test second time.
The first in my immediate family.

I remember my dad giving mum driving lessons in his old Ford Consul. She passed her test first time at around the age of 23/24. I still remember to this day the first time she drove after her test, and she had to drag me screaming and crying into the car because I was too scared for her to be driving!. I was about 4 at the time. However, she was a very good driver.

Her mum (my gran) took a test probably when she was in her 50s, but after a minor accident she refused to drive again! And my other grandparents never owned a car so they didn't learn to drive.

Mum failed her driving test five times and gave up trying. She did pass her O level maths at 60 though!

I passed first time but didn’t enjoy driving and was glad to give it up a few years ago. I didn’t ever pass my maths though!

My Mum's dad, my grandfather, taught her to drive. She was an only child. She then went on to drive in the second world war where she drove lorries while stationed on an ack ack battery in Scotland somewhere. She also taught her 3 daughters to drive as well and I will be eternally grateful to her for passing on to me this brilliant skill. Driving gives you such independence and means that you are not reliant on someone else.

My mum never drove my dad did try to teach her but she was too nervous. My mother in law was the opposite end she had in her time a HGV and PSV licence and drove buses for many years. Interestingly enough she could never park a car near the kerb always thought he had a bus

Mum got her licence in the war when you didn’t have to take a test. Just as well, she would never have passed! Awful driver, very nervous, scraped gears, constantly ‘stalled’ the car at junctions. “Damn, I’ve stalled!” was often heard! (My sister and I grew up thinking that constant ‘stalling’ was part of the driving experience).

She daren’t drive far, just the couple of miles into the village or to the churchyard to put flowers on her parents grave. Dad was the main driver, he was very good.

Mum surrendered her licence when she had an accident in her 60’s. Her fault, but the other driver could have avoided her if he’d been concentrating.

I passed second time when I was 17, both my children passed first time at 17 and are good drivers. I have never been a keen driver but necessary where we live.

Neither of my parents learned to drive and had not the slightest interest in doing so. They were always happy to use public transport.

I passed my test as a teenager and could never understand their resistance to owning a car and the independence and freedom that it brings.

Mum still has a strong dislike of cars and is quick to admonish people who drive short journeys instead of walking/cycling.