Nottingham sits close enough to the M1 that a motorway lesson is a realistic part of learning to drive here, not a novelty. Since June 2018, learners have been allowed onto the motorway network with an approved driving instructor, and with junctions 24 to 26 all within a short drive of the city, most Pass Mee learners can fit one in before their test.
What actually changed in 2018
Before 4 June 2018, learner drivers in England, Scotland and Wales were not permitted on motorways at all, even under close supervision. From that date, gov.uk guidance confirms that learners became allowed to take motorway lessons, but only under specific conditions. You can only drive on a motorway as a learner if you are with an approved driving instructor (ADI), and the car being used must be fitted with dual controls. A private supervising driver, such as a parent or friend with a full licence, cannot legally take you onto a motorway, no matter how experienced they are — that restriction still applies. Trainee instructors who have not yet gained full ADI status are not permitted to give motorway lessons either.
It’s also worth knowing that a motorway lesson isn’t compulsory. It’s an optional addition to your training, and your instructor decides when you’re ready, based on how confident you are with dual carriageways, higher speeds and lane discipline first. If you’ve booked lessons through Pass Mee’s lesson packages, it’s worth asking early on whether a motorway session can be built into your later hours, since it needs planning around good conditions and daylight.
Nottingham’s motorway geography
Nottingham has more than one way onto the M1 without much of a run-up, which makes it a convenient city for this kind of lesson. Junction 24 connects via the A453 and A50, giving access towards Nottingham and East Midlands Airport to the south-west. Junction 25 links to the A52, which is the most direct connection into the city centre. Junction 26 connects via the A610 on the north-west side of Nottingham, near Nuthall. Between them, a learner starting almost anywhere in the city can be joining the motorway within twenty minutes or so, which is one reason local instructors often build a motorway lesson into a normal training route rather than treating it as a special trip.
The A52 itself is worth knowing regardless of whether you end up on the motorway. The stretch between Nottingham and Derby — officially named Brian Clough Way — is mainly dual carriageway, running past Queen’s Medical Centre, Clifton Boulevard, Bramcote and Stapleford before reaching Derby. It’s a useful road for practising sustained higher-speed driving, lane changes and overtaking in a dual-carriageway environment before attempting an actual motorway, and it feeds directly into the M1 at junction 25.
Getting ready for your first motorway lesson
- Make sure you’re comfortable on dual carriageways first — the A52 towards Derby is a common practice route for exactly this reason.
- Expect your instructor to talk you through joining and leaving slip roads, lane positioning and mirror checks before you actually pull onto the carriageway.
- Ask what happens if conditions look poor on the day — heavy rain, high winds or fog are reasons a lesson might be rescheduled rather than pushed through.
- Don’t expect it in your very first few hours; instructors typically wait until general car control and confidence are solid.
- Bring your licence with you, as with any lesson, and wear comfortable, unrestrictive footwear given the higher speeds involved.
A motorway lesson isn’t something to rush into, and it isn’t assessed as part of your practical test either — but many new drivers find that first session on the M1 takes away a lot of the anxiety they’d otherwise carry into their first solo motorway drive after passing. If you’re not sure when it fits into your progress, it’s a reasonable thing to raise with your instructor at any point.