This is brilliant! You should feel really proud of yourself.My driving anxiety has improved so much from doing more driving, it's unreal. I'm still more anxious than a lot of my friends, but I'm fine with that. I drove myself and my child on a family holiday this week, 70 miles away, never driven there before, wasn't anxious at all! And only a little anxious on the way back due to the bad weather. There were lots of roundabouts, A roads, motorway, country lanes and I bossed it
City driving especially London, terrifies me. Super impressed by you!This is brilliant! You should feel really proud of yourself.
I've had to challenge myself with 2 drives recently, one was at night to an unfamiliar area with no parking. I don't like driving at night but I took it steady, missed a couple of turns but nothing that delayed me more than 5 mins. As for the parking, I just drove up the road til I found a space I didn't have to parallel park inthen this week I had to drive into London (not the very centre, but near) and then from one place to another. First part was fine, second part I went the wrong way twice, but recovered it eventually! The main issue was lots of the roads being marked as 20mph even though everyone other than me was doing 30+. I only got beeped once which I'll take as a win. All in all I think I did ok - well done me!
Oh I also managed to park ok at both locations, again just driving slightly further for an easier space
Tip for this is pull up next to a parked car then reverse until you are halfway back from the parked car then start to turn your wheel to maneuver into the space.I can't parallel park either - I finally mastered it in 2019 when I used to drive to work every day (and parallel park at least some of those days). Then lockdown happened and we didn't go to the office for 2 years, I've now lost the knack completely.
So my anxiety about driving seems to be getting worse. Absolutely fine in my local town, no stress parking anywhere or anything.
Tell me to go somewhere else though and I panic. Example, our eldest son has been scouted and invited to an academy football trial. Its brilliant and a great opportunity. My husband would ordinarily take him but he has another commitment for work and cannot. So for 3 weeks it's on me.
You will not believe the amount of times I have Google maped the route. It will be dark when we come home so I am checking there are streetlights, I hate driving with main beam on, and I'm even checking speed limits as I don't really like driving 60mph. Wtf is wrong with me
It's 16 miles from our house and about 30 minutes. No dual carriageways, no merging onto anything and the majority is residential streets with a 30/40mph limit. However I am still panicking massively.
I'll do it because I won't let him down, but God I wish I didn't feel like this.
Thank youAww, what a great opportunity for your son!
Would it help you to make that drive by daylight to get to know it before having to take the plunge? I fully get the darkness aspect, I tend to fear that I overlook a corner and someone will just drive out of it, but if I know the way by daylight I feel much better about it.
I understand you very well, I also find using an automatic easier than a manual, it's one less thing to worry about!I'm 24 and I got my license 5 years ago but I have only recently started driving again due to anxiety.
I learnt on a manual (required in my country to get a full driving license) and switching gears and handling the clutch was always the biggest issue with driving for me because I'm very uncoordinated and I find it very difficult to focus on all these things plus the road, the speed etc. Recently my dad got a small automatic car and he suggested trying it. I started driving again on that and it's been much better, I feel a lot more confident.
Do you think I should give up trying to drive manual and focus on gaining confidence and being able to at least drive automatic cars? Manual cars are still very common in my country so I'm kind of worried that I might need to know how to drive a manual in the future and I won't be able to. I'm a little hesitant to give up completely. On the other hand I feel like by practicing on my dad's automatic car I can at least ensure I can drive something lol. I also feel like once I get confident and I can drive independently on an automatic, if I ever need it I can re-learn to drive manuals more easily. What do you think?
I am not in a huge hurry to pick up driving again because as of now I live in a city with public transport and I never really need to drive, but I'd like to be a confident driver as soon as possible so I can move to a cheaper place and have more job opportunities.
Eta: I hope I got all the terminology right, English isn't my first language and I don't usually talk about cars in English
Absolutely continue practicing in your dad’s car. I passed my test in a manual but didn’t drive again for 13 years until I took refresher lessons in an automatic. My driving anxiety is ridiculous but it is just because I left it so long, I drive but I hate itI'm 24 and I got my license 5 years ago but I have only recently started driving again due to anxiety.
I learnt on a manual (required in my country to get a full driving license) and switching gears and handling the clutch was always the biggest issue with driving for me because I'm very uncoordinated and I find it very difficult to focus on all these things plus the road, the speed etc. Recently my dad got a small automatic car and he suggested trying it. I started driving again on that and it's been much better, I feel a lot more confident.
Do you think I should give up trying to drive manual and focus on gaining confidence and being able to at least drive automatic cars? Manual cars are still very common in my country so I'm kind of worried that I might need to know how to drive a manual in the future and I won't be able to. I'm a little hesitant to give up completely. On the other hand I feel like by practicing on my dad's automatic car I can at least ensure I can drive something lol. I also feel like once I get confident and I can drive independently on an automatic, if I ever need it I can re-learn to drive manuals more easily. What do you think?
I am not in a huge hurry to pick up driving again because as of now I live in a city with public transport and I never really need to drive, but I'd like to be a confident driver as soon as possible so I can move to a cheaper place and have more job opportunities.
Eta: I hope I got all the terminology right, English isn't my first language and I don't usually talk about cars in English
Be aware of no car lanes, you'll likely get a fine in the post.Any tips for city driving
Oh dear, I know what you're going through, but you will be fine! You're making it up much scarier in your mind than it will be. You are well prepared, you have looked up any relevant info multiple times and the time of the day is very much on your side with likely less traffic than normal. It'll be over quickly. And if you really need a moment to calm and collect your thoughts you could pull up and just breathe a moment.Today is the day I'm driving my son to the academy session. I've checked the route multiple times on maps and feel sick every time I think of the journey.
I keep telling myself it could be worse, I could have to drive him further away, or at rush hour or into a busy city. It's not, it's 13 miles, 25 minutes and I will be fine.
I have to leave at 645 and then coming back leave at 830 so the roads should be quiet. I don't know why I am panicking so much. I'm popping to boots on my lunch break to get some kalms rescue remedy as I think it might help.
That sounds lovely. You're going at a nice quiet time so it'll breeze by!Got the rescue remedy and had a pastille already. They worked for me for some uni exams so even if its a placebo I'll take it
My sons a great companion in the car and will encourage me if I panic a bit. I've told him we can get a celebratory mcdonalds on the way home so I'll reward myself with that!
How did you get on?Today is the day I'm driving my son to the academy session. I've checked the route multiple times on maps and feel sick every time I think of the journey.
I keep telling myself it could be worse, I could have to drive him further away, or at rush hour or into a busy city. It's not, it's 13 miles, 25 minutes and I will be fine.
I have to leave at 645 and then coming back leave at 830 so the roads should be quiet. I don't know why I am panicking so much. I'm popping to boots on my lunch break to get some kalms rescue remedy as I think it might help.
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?