How to overcome your fear of driving: a cheat sheet for beginners

Thinking about driving a car, but not confident in your capabilities? Are you afraid of responsibility or the inability to cope with the driving mechanism? Are you frightened by the unsuccessful precedents of your acquaintances and friends and projecting them onto yourself? Now look at all the above questions again and see that each of them contains fear. Below we will figure out how to get rid of it, but first, let’s try to answer one question.

What are the origins of fear of driving?

Why does fear of driving appear? Of course, the most important thing is the responsibility falling on the future driver. It seems to us: “There are so many cars around, the drivers are already experienced, what if I collide with someone, ruin the car, and not only my own... And if at the same time there are passengers in the car besides me! No, no, driving is not for me." But don’t rush to conclusions, because on the initial journey such thoughts occur to many people, but then they become the very experienced drivers you are afraid to encounter.

Many girls (and not only) are afraid to get behind the wheel due to a lack of understanding of how a car works, what to do with it in case of a problem, and how to handle it in general. But wait, you don’t think that every driver has a completely clear picture of how this mechanism works, what its essence is and where it needs to be tightened or screwed in order to get it working. Many experienced drivers often do not have a clear understanding of the mechanics of how a car takes off, so dismiss this thought immediately.

Often, fear appears after a person has already started driving school, and this becomes the reason that they drop out without finishing it. As a rule, this is due to a bad instructor who is nervous and loves to shout, keeping the student in suspense and causing panic. It also happens that the driving school team approaches the learning process formally, without much enthusiasm. Of course, the student suffers from this, he develops a reluctance to learn to drive and even alienation.

Some people suffer from poor spatial orientation or topographical disorientation, which also becomes another cause of fear. After all, knowledge of turns, main intersections, detours, bypass roads is the key to fast and rational driving.

Finally, the fear of a fatal mistake is the main fear that overcomes beginners. In the early stages, we all worry about possible accidents and incidents, because in the news we are so often informed about road accidents. “And how to overcome this fear?” you ask. Below we have collected for you some tips that can solve the problem of a barrier that arises at the beginning of the driving journey. Let's see what can be effective in this situation.

Benefits of Positive Thinking

In any area of ​​a person’s life, attitude is important. Everyone is familiar with the situation when a bad mood interferes with the performance of simple, everyday tasks. If everything is falling out of your hands and you don’t want to do anything, it’s better not to get behind the wheel. Excessive nervousness will aggravate the panic state. If there is no way to cancel things, you can’t stop being afraid, but you still need to go, the first thing you need to do is create a positive attitude. Psychologists advise:

• allocate an hour for one episode of your favorite series;
• conduct auto-training, convincing yourself of your ability to drive a car skillfully, tell yourself a few compliments;
• visualize a successful trip.

It will take no more than 5 minutes to “play out” the upcoming trip in your head. And this time is more than enough to overcome fear and create a good mood. You can imagine a happy traffic police officer who wishes you a safe journey, visualize an absolutely calm situation on the road, and then ideal parking at a store or office. In the same psychological manner, you need to mentally return home, and go on a real trip with a feeling of complete satisfaction and tranquility. Even if the fear does not go away, it should definitely subside.

Driving school, instructor, car

One of the reasons for fear or even rejection of driving is an incorrectly selected driving school with unprofessional employees. Often a guy or girl cannot bear the psychological pressure from an instructor who is shouting and impatient, or they simply do not understand the teachers. Therefore, before choosing a driving school, be sure to consult with your acquaintances, ask friends, relatives, friends which school they liked the most, look at reviews on the Internet about what people were happy with and what was not.

Even if you have already decided to visit a particular driving school based on reviews and comments, but after visiting it you are disappointed, do not give up the idea of ​​​​changing it and finding what suits you. The main thing is don’t give up, because this is such a necessary skill, mastering which your life will become much easier.

What else is important when mastering driving?

Symptoms of the problem

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To determine that a problem exists and find a solution to it, you need to learn how to correctly interpret your own behavior. Fear of driving a car in a novice woman is accompanied by certain symptoms:

• reluctance to sit in the front seat;
• refusal to drive on your own, without an instructor or a more experienced driver;
• desire to travel by public transport;
• when driving, hands sweat a lot, the whole body is tense, the person is concentrated;
• excitement and trembling in the hands, fatigue in the eyes and tension;
• state of stress when driving;
• severe fatigue after the road.

Demand as much as possible

Once you have found an educational institution you like, be an active student - ask the teachers anything you don’t understand, and be interested in additional materials. Study in detail all the rules of the road, because knowledge is a power that gives confidence and destroys fear. On YouTube, by the way, there are a lot of educational videos showing how the car works. After spending a little time, you will definitely find something useful.

These channels will allow you to navigate the world of cars, their structure and operation. Also, don't forget about a number of mobile apps about traffic rules. Even before driving school, you can already train on this point and come prepared.

And don’t forget that the instructor is a mentor, a person accompanying you on the path to mastering a very dangerous and responsible activity, so make sure that he is a patient, competently working professional, ready to help at the right time and, what is equally important, emotionally appropriate for you.

First meeting with a traffic inspector

Learning to drive without fear also means gaining communication skills with traffic police inspectors. Many female newcomers are afraid of prejudice against them.

Remember that the inspector is in the performance of his official duties. If your car and documents are in order, you do not violate traffic rules, there is no reason to be afraid of the traffic police.

If you do not comply with the rules, the traffic police officer will issue you a fine. If there are concerns that the driver is under the influence of alcohol or drugs, he may be asked to pass blood tests.

Ride the car as often as possible, improve your skills.

Psychological techniques

Meditation, relaxation, relaxation, and all this in the car! Yes, yes, don't be afraid to seem strange. Sit behind the wheel of the car, sit, calmly study all the buttons, get used to the steering wheel, touch the surface of the car. Hang the fragrance, select seat covers, create an atmosphere of coziness and comfort, move the chair as it suits you, adjust the mirrors, steering wheel, etc.

When you are completely convinced of your harmony with the car, imagine with your eyes closed how you are driving, and be sure that you will immediately want to feel it in reality. But, of course, psychology is good, but the main thing is practice. Therefore, we immediately proceed to the next point.

Choose a time and place

Before you go, carefully study the routes that are desirable for beginners. Ask your friends which roads you should take at first, which routes are the easiest. You can take a map of city and suburban roads and see for yourself which is more convenient for you. Many newcomers go to the fields and villages.

You can often hear that it is advisable to learn on the highway, but this is not the best recommendation due to the fact that the highways have high speeds, and on the right side (where the speeds are lower) there are often trucks and there is a high probability of getting “stuck” behind such a large car , because you definitely shouldn’t overtake in the early stages.

Choose mornings and weekends when the roads are less congested. Get into the car with a friend or girlfriend, don’t be afraid to drive around the city, because there will be a minimal number of cars.

Fear of busy highways

Reluctance and fear of driving onto busy highways occurs not only among beginners, but also among experienced drivers who are accustomed to roads with less dense traffic. The reason is the same - fear of an accident, and it is connected, first of all, with a lack of experience. Here are some recommended workouts:

• working out the required route during hours with the least dense traffic;
• short trips, with a gradual increase in time;
• driving with an experienced driver nearby or with a private instructor.

Regular exercises will definitely have an effect: you will gain confidence in a familiar environment, it will become increasingly easier to cope with jitters, and fear will disappear.

Don't pay attention to strangers

It is natural that while you are learning, you will be slow, the likelihood of making mistakes will be high, which will inevitably irritate other drivers. Surely you will hear the sound of a beep and even unpleasant statements addressed to you. However, here you need to show perseverance and self-confidence.

Firstly, adequate drivers will perfectly understand that you are learning and only at the beginning of your driving journey, so there is no point in annoying you or getting on your nerves. Secondly, yes, there will be some who are inadequate, but what can you do if people don’t have patience and education? Should I answer them in kind? It's hardly worth it. Be calm and reasonable, slowly try to get out of a difficult situation (stalled at a traffic light, forgot to turn on the turn signal, stood in the wrong lane, etc.) Over time, such cases will be reduced to a minimum - this is all a matter of practice.

It will be great if you take a friend with you who has driving experience. It is fundamentally important that they are positive and gentle people, not prone to aggression and panic attacks. They will encourage you and give you confidence on the road.

However, first of all, the individual’s work with himself is important.

Tips for women

Since women are more emotional than men and are more likely to exercise caution in dangerous situations, they should be given specific advice to combat the fear of driving:

• Understand the structure of the machine . Many women are afraid of car malfunctions, which can cause unpleasant situations. Learn the main points and then it will be much easier for you.
• Ensure a pleasant stay in the salon . Before driving, adjust the driver's seat, turn on some soft music and relax.
• Don't beat yourself up for mistakes . There will always be unhappy and impatient drivers on the road, but you need to learn to ignore them and slowly move towards your goal.

Attach a badge with the letter “U” or a shoe to your car window. Then your mistakes will become more clear to others and will be forgiven.

We tried to give you comprehensive answers to the question of how not to be afraid to drive, and we hope that our advice will be useful. Any person who does not have medical contraindications is able to drive a car, so you will definitely succeed!

Understand your fear

Understand that fear is just an unquenchable instinct of self-preservation. Of course, everyone has it (by the way, the older a person is, the more fears he has), but it is in your power to take action, fight it and realize that the devil is not as terrible as he is painted. After all, you can meet a variety of categories of drivers on the roads - by age, gender, temperament, physical build, etc. Therefore, boldly get down to business, forgetting about far-fetched barriers.

If fear still remains, we advise you to hire an instructor who taught you how to drive at a driving school (or another) and ask him to drive with you for the first time. This will give you more confidence. Nevertheless, at some point you will have to part with it and be left alone with the roads.

Another great way to overcome fear, anxiety, worry and relieve unnecessary stress is our online program “Mental Self-Regulation”. By devoting only 25-30 minutes a day to classes, in two months you will gain useful knowledge and learn the most current self-regulation techniques, considering them through real cases, exercises and examples.

And this video contains some great tips for overcoming your fear of driving, in case you still have it even after reading the article:

What's behind the phobia?

To know how to overcome a phobia, you need to know what fears a person has. Fear of driving can arise due to the following situations:

• The driver has previously been involved in an accident or been involved in a traffic accident.
• He is not sure whether he can control the actions of other drivers and his own movements.
• Some people are frightened by the realization that they look ridiculous and ridiculous as a driver.
• Due to ignorance of certain traffic rules (for example, a person does not understand where and how to park correctly, how not to stall at an intersection, how to pass other cars).

There is no difficulty in overcoming such a phobia. Every day you need to record your fears, mentally work with them, and give yourself rational arguments. Psychologists advise sharing more of your fears with loved ones and asking them to talk about the problem from the outside.

The help of a psychotherapist to overcome the fear of driving is needed only if a person had an accident in childhood or adulthood. He can replay memories in his head over and over again, projecting them into reality.

In conclusion

In fact, there are a very large number of different forms of fear when driving a car:

• someone is afraid of large cars, the dimensions of which seem terribly inconvenient and too cumbersome;
• some people cannot stand traffic jams because of the illusion of closed space;
• someone doesn’t understand how you can control everything that happens around you: watch for children crossing the road, and for signs, and for surrounding cars, and at the same time listen to what the passenger in the next seat is saying.

All of these forms of fear are dictated by leaving your comfort zone. But understand: driving will become comfortable only with an increased amount of practice, with turning it into a habit. The only means that can eliminate fear in this case is direct driving. Just approach this wisely, make it easier for yourself to drive a car, create comfort and have a positive attitude - then all fears will disappear by themselves.

We wish you success!

We also recommend reading:

• Storytelling
• Shyness: causes, consequences and elimination
• How to cope with fear: a selection of useful materials
• Overcoming Fear
• How to overcome fear?
• What is fear and how to overcome it
• How to overcome the fear of a white page
• How to deal with the fear of rejection
• How to solve any problems
• Overcoming Fear of Failure
• Neophobia: how to stop being afraid of new things

Key words:1Psychoregulation

Table: Main causes of driver fears and ways to eliminate them