How to overcome the fear of driving?
How to get over fear of driving is a question that I have been asking myself for 8 years, until some weeks ago. Fear is the emotional reaction that we have when something seems dangerous. Being afraid comes from things and situations that make us feel unsure, or unsafe.
We never know how fear feels until we are put in a situation where we realize it’s there. What is fear of driving called, and what does the fear of driving phobia mean, you’ll find out above.
How to get over fear of driving? – What is the fear of driving phobia? – Getting over fear of driving
It’s quite interesting how I overcame the fear of driving. I have had a driving permit for more than 5 years, but I never drove after getting it. All this, because I wasn’t trusting myself and was scared of everything that might happen. During almost 8 years of being unable to drive because of the fear of driving, something magic happened. It was like all the things in my life worked out quickly, and beautifully only to give me the chance to start driving again.
I had the luck of having great help from my close ones, and a car in front of my apartment, ready to be driven. But there was one impediment, the fear of driving phobia.
A friend in need is a friend indeed. So I got the courage to initiate my driving, little by little. It was the beginning of a new chapter, filled with lots of anxiety, overthinking, and scary tears. Then, I realized that I might be in the good direction to getting over the fear of driving. What were the next steps in this experience, and the best 10 tips on how to overcome fear of driving, you will read below.
1. Start with yourself – What makes you scared to drive?
The first thing to do to start getting over fear of driving, even if you are a beginner or a late starter is to start analyzing yourself. What is the thing that scares you most? What is the thing that doesn’t allow you to take the steps in turning on a new leaf and finally overcome the fear of driving?
In my case, it was the fact that I lost the small experience that I’ve got during the driving course. Also, due to scarceness, I didn’t understand that I have to start learning again what does it mean to be a good driver. And, by doing this, the fear will slowly disappear.
2. Choose your driving instructor wisely
After my friend left, the scarceness came again, and for 3 weeks I just stared at the car, crying. Luckily, I have received the number of an instructor who was said to be the best with people like me, the scared ones. It proved to be so because since I’d called, I’ve seen him for a whole week, every day. Then, on a beautiful Sunday, he said goodbye and congratulation for overcoming the fear of driving.
When choosing an instructor as a scared person, you have to choose wisely. You have to ask some close ones for advice, reviews and also talk to the possible instructor to see if he can help you on the psychological side because that’s what you need most. The balance between the skills, knowledge, and emotions has to be re-established.
3. Distributive attention made correctly
I’ve learned in the first 3 days of driving how attention works. If on the 1st day I was trembling, sweating, overthinking, and scared, I could see a big step on the 3rd one. I’ve understood then that by following the correct attention process, there is nothing bad to happen.
When you are such a scared person, you tend to forget that no one was the best driver from day one and that hard emotions can make you forget about the necessary learning process. Getting over the fear of driving means learning correct distributive attention.
4. Practice, Practice, Practice
There are many questions regarding how is fear of driving called, how to overcome fear of driving, or what are the steps that might help you in getting over fear of driving in general. We also know about the famous saying “practice makes perfect”. We often stop practicing stuff because it has a hard, slow process, or we feel tired of not getting the quickest results. The fear of driving phobia needs practice, to vanish.
How do I overcome my fear of driving by practice? After tasting driving, and seeing how much I could enjoy it, I wanted to take the car on rides after the classes, but it was still scary.
One day, the instructor told me that it will the first day when I will have to finally do a ride alone, to pick him up for classes. And so did I, full of tears, and talking with myself the whole ride, scared. But it was tears of joy, because even scared, I had driven alone for the first time, and I kept myself safe. Since then, I dare to go alone after courses and practice more.
Do you see? This is the first step that matters most. And then, practicing only makes it better and better, until one day you drive relaxed, and often remember what a badass you are for becoming a good driver.
5. Get to know the car and it’s potential perfectly
Another important factor that you need to know for getting over the fear of driving is learning your car inside out. Understanding its sounds, changes, and reactions makes you more sure of what to do when you are scared. Learn what noises mean, learn what the car wants to tell you while trying to pull the breaks, and so on.
Maybe, in the beginning, I didn’t know my car, but after one month of driving it almost every day, I feel that my car is trembling differently as is supposed to. So, pay attention to your new jewelry and learn.
6. Learn how to not be influenced by other drivers
One of the biggest challenges that I encountered was the scare of other drivers. Due to my fear, I tended to focus on what everyone does around me, so I won’t do something bad. I didn’t want to derange drivers or cause an accident. I was so worried about this that I was scared of taking action, double, or when a turn around would be necessary, I would freak out because others are honking the new scared driver.
What I learned is that as long as you concentrate on your way, and you do everything correctly, you take your time and use your right, everything will be ok. In time, the time becomes smaller and the rim better, and at the moment this is all you can do. Others were in the same situation as you once, and they can wait. If not, they have a problem, not you.
7. Learn the routes – Use the GPS as much as you need
How was trying a new route for the first time? After doing it 10 times. We come again to practice. Why did you want to have your driving permit? To get to destinations easily and quickly. And that should be the biggest motivation to keep going.
Write a list of the most important places that you need to get to. You will see that driving the car is the best way to get there. Where would you like to drive to? Then, start going to those places by using the GPS. Slowly, you’ll learn the way, you’ll understand routes, you’ll get used to traffic and also, you will get more confident.
8. How does the fear of driving after a car crash feel? – How to start driving again after a car crash experience?
For sure, driving after a car crash seems impossible if your emotions are affected. The fear of driving after a car crash can only be overcome by doing slow steps. If you are scared to start driving alone, ask a friend to join you, so you feel safe. For a while, keep it like this.
Then, after you get better, you can start the next steps in overcoming the fear of driving by going to pick up your friend from home. It may seem hard at the beginning after your trauma, but remember who you were before fear appeared, and know that if others could overwhelm you, so do you.
Usually, after a car crash, seeing a psychologist is the best idea. You can talk freely about what do you feel about this experience. Maybe, you’ll find ways to start defeating the bad impact that it had on you.
9. How to overcome the fear of driving over bridges? – Then, how to overcome fear of driving on highway? – How to overcome the fear of driving in tunnels?
Other interesting processes that one could have to go through are learning how to overcome the fear of driving over bridges, how to overcome the fear of driving on highway, and how to overcome the fear of driving in tunnels. The most important thing to know is that you will never be able to overcome your fears if you do not try to face them. Nobody is asked to do those remarkably, but to do it carefully.
When you get into one of the situations above, the most important is to drive slowly, pay attention to the surrounding, and do it with calm. By repeating those processes as many times as you can, helps you lose a little bit of fear. One piece of advice that could help is having someone close on the right seat, it would make you feel more comfortable.
10. How to overcome the fear of driving long distances – How to overcome the fear of getting lost while driving – Getting over fear of mountain driving
The last important tip to overcoming the fear of driving is learning how to drive long distances. Also, getting over fear of mountain driving. When driving long distances as a beginner, can be quite overwhelming and tiring, which can lead to fear. The fact that you are in totally new surroundings, and the plains become mountains, or the bands getting tricky can lead to multiple fears.
All those together, lead to the fear of getting lost while driving. A saying that always helped me when I had to do something that was getting me anxious is “you never know how is it until you try it”. Thanks to applying this saying, I gained a lot of trust in myself after finally doing something for the 1st time and realizing that I’m totally capable to do it.
You are able to overcome the fear of driving in mountains, in tunnels, on long distances, and also the fear of getting lost while driving. It only takes one first action into the matter, which is to do it. It will be scary, demanding and you will need lots of courage. But, the result you are going to show yourself will be promising.
Final words on overcoming the fear of driving – The difference between how I overcame my fear of driving and how you will overcome yours
We are all different, but our fears connect us. It is not a shame for me anymore that I’ve had this fear for years. It was a lesson that I have learned and a practice that I had to accomplish. I overcame it in my own rhythm and not everyone does the same. I will always remember how great was to overcome the fear of driving phobia, thanks to the situations that made me realize how capable I am.
Always remember, there will be differences in others’ processes and your own. Follow those 10 tips on how to get over fear of driving. Then, allow yourself to see the progress you make. It will give you the motivation to keep going until driving will become a relaxing activity that takes you everywhere you want to get. Farewell!
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