Farthest you’ve driven without touching the brakes?

[Disco You]

On Friday evening I joined the M4 out of London to be greeted with the sat nav instruction to stay on the road for the next 105 miles.

Being a card carrying member of the dull men’s club, I decided to see if I could travel more than 100 miles without touching the brake pedal.

Sadly my dreams were shattered 83 boring miles later when I reached near standstill traffic and I couldn’t engine brake in time, so I had to brake. I blame DSG.

Has anyone managed any farther? Or even without touching the throttle thanks to cruise control?

[TREMAiNE]

Driving from Idaho Falls, ID up to Kalispell MT on a US road trip I did last year, I managed 135 miles without touching the brake - although not on a highway, but just a standard (long) road. I'd done 15 miles with cruise control at 50mph before veering right and continuing for 120 miles.
I mostly sat at 90mph but would cancel the cruise and coast down to 50-70mph where necessary for any curves, not sure it counts but I didn't use the brakes.

Off topic, but incidentally that days driver was around 480 miles, and excluding the few miles with the start and finish towns themselves, I only had 3 turns the entire route.

[Caddyshack]

Hopefully not off topic but I have made the 50mph average speed zones more interesting on my motorbike by setting the cruise at 52 and seeing if I can make it in and out without braking or cancelling ‘/ adjusting the cruise…corners become an exercise in overcoming the brain as I know I can make them but I just want to brake.

[shtu]

I used to commute down the M6 to Warrington on a Sunday evening, joining at Abington. Couple of hours at least, I'm fairly sure that was often a brake-free run as the road was pretty much deserted regularly.

[alangla]

My record is somewhere around Penrith to the edge of Glasgow without turning cruise control off. Might have pushed the throttle a couple of times to speed up overtakes but no braking at all. It’s almost unknown to get through the 2 lane section between Douglas and Hamilton during the day without having to turn it off but I managed it on this occasion.

[Tye Green]

don't know about miles but prob several hundred - actually better measured in weeks or months even though the car used every day.

EVs don't require the driver to touch the brakes at all unless it's an emergency.

I recommend getting an EV to everyone on PH!

[RATATTAK]

Never tried not-braking, but when I was learning driving techniques (having passed my test) on a Mister Softee Ice Cream van, I tried to go all day without using the clutch. I'd almost made it when the prop shaft decided to separate itself from the underside of the van, just missing a scooter rider that I'd overtaken.

I continued to improve my technique when I continued my career as a Civil Engineer in Land Rovers on motorway construction. Happy days.

[Krikkit]

My best is about 110 miles from the lights at the Doncaster services on the M18/M180 to the M53 at Cheshire Oaks one night, just fluked a completely empty journey, some good speeds as well

[Dan_1981]

I had to work through the first lock down, including going into the office.

Did jct 28 on the m1, down to bhx airport with cruise set to 78 without touching any pedals several times.

Think distance wise it's only about 56 miles, but to do it on a normal day would be impossible.

[georgeyboy12345]

Probably from somewhere just south of Birmingham to Exeter along the M5 on a quiet Sunday evening, so maybe around 160 miles or so.

[ITP]

Driving back from Aberdeen one evening I set the cruise control just as I got onto the M74 (off the M73) in glasgow and it stayed on untouched until I entered the twisty slip road for the A34 on the M60, south Manchester. This involved M74, M6, M61, M60. I think probably about 200 miles, maybe a bit more.

[Mr Dendrite]

I used to commute from a village north of Cambridge to Guildford. 100miles door to door. Leaving at 4:30am, my game was to get there without coming to a halt, provide the traffic lights on the M25/A3 junction 10 interchange were in my favour I could do it on throttle alone without touching the brakes and assuming the M25 was flowing ok.
The journey back was another matter entirely!

[Fonzey]

Didn't measure the mileage but used to do a weekly commute from North Yorkshire to Kent. Had radar cruise on my car at the time. Must have done 2+ hours, finally got to my exit and was slowing the car on the sliproad by tabbing down the cruise button, then as the roundabout approach needed to use the brake.

Suddenly I didn't know which foot was which, where the pedals were, which one made the car stop, etc. Much panic crammed into half a second until I found my feet and slowed without drama.

Once did a satnav journey in the US which had "stay on this road for 200m". Finally got to 200m looking forward to "an event" to find the road just went from four lanes to three, then satnav switched to "stay on this road for 150m". Soul destroying

[alangla]

ITP said:

Driving back from Aberdeen one evening I set the cruise control just as I got onto the M74 (off the M73) in glasgow and it stayed on untouched until I entered the twisty slip road for the A34 on the M60, south Manchester. This involved M74, M6, M61, M60. I think probably about 200 miles, maybe a bit more.

3 entries so far involving the M74 and northern end of the M6. Surely this must be in the running for the longest relatively uncongested and straightforward bit of motorway in the country

[Krikkit]

Fonzey said:

Once did a satnav journey in the US which had "stay on this road for 200m". Finally got to 200m looking forward to "an event" to find the road just went from four lanes to three, then satnav switched to "stay on this road for 150m". Soul destroying

Very similar if you head towards Dijon from Calais - I remember at least 200km which ended in a keep right for another 250km

[bloomen]

alangla said:

3 entries so far involving the M74 and northern end of the M6. Surely this must be in the running for the longest relatively uncongested and straightforward bit of motorway in the country

I know as soon as Preston is gone I'll have it not too far off all to myself pretty much until Glasgow. It's a fine feeling. Of course you have everything below that to combat first so I don't bother unless it's the middle of the night.

As for the question, I've managed 5-6 hours across the Great Plains in the US, but it's so blank it should really be disqualified as you'd be hard pressed not to.

[healeyneil]

I drove a newly bought classic from Portsmouth to Glasgow without touching the foot brake. Use of gears, looking well ahead, and handbrake got me home! It had a sticking brake caliper that I had freed off at the start, and was scared it would stick again - and I didn’t have any tools!

[DickyC]

Newbury to Kingston Bridge. Fairly early in the morning. I was working in Norbiton and never quite made it all the way. Engine braking and forward planning were the tools. Not annoying anyone else was the only rule.

[WeirdNeville]

Australia, driving up the west coast toward shark bay from Perth. We did an entire tank of fuel with the cruise control set to 120kph and didn't brake until turning into the servo. Was about 500km (3.8L pajeros are not economical).

I also once drove out of London in my 328i with a hole in a brake line. It was midnight during the riots so I didn't want to stop or abandon the car. I made it 35 miles, I calculated I had about it 10 brake presses worth of fluid, but only 2 junctions. Then it sent me off the A40 flyover into Hammersmith.... I made it home. Would not recommend.

[Mr Tidy]

I've often managed to do 70 miles or so on the M40 between High Wycombe and the M42 junction without using them by just leaving a decent gap and looking ahead.

May well have done longer distances without them seeing as my pre-registered BMW 123d got to 81K miles on the original pads and discs and my current daily showed 11K miles for the rear pads on the OBC when I bought it and 17K miles later still shows 11K for them!

I've never worked out why so many people seem to keep braking on Motorways for no apparent reason.