5 Ways to Gain Confidence and Get Over Your Driving Fears

Many people learn to drive and get their licenses. Most do it around age sixteen, but some wait till they’re older. A driver’s license can get you far in life since driving helps you get around with little difficulty.

Some people don’t like driving, though. They might see accidents on the road and think it could happen to them. For instance, Florida’s St. Lucie County saw 5,500 accidents in 2021. Stats like that might make you feel like you never want to drive.

If you fear driving, you might consider some techniques to get you feeling more confident out there on the road. We’ll talk about some of them now.

Go to Therapy

Many times, driving fears come about when you have an accident. Maybe you’re driving when it happens, or perhaps you’re in the back seat or passenger’s seat.

Perhaps someone died in the accident or sustained injuries. From that point forward, you might worry every time you try to drive or any time you even get in a vehicle.

You might experience PTSD. This condition sometimes impacts combat veterans, disaster survivors, domestic violence survivors, and severe car crash survivors as well.

You can’t just shrug these concerns aside. You need to acknowledge them, and that probably means seeking therapy. Therapy can help you face your fears and hopefully get past them.

Your therapist can guide you to a better head space. In time, these sessions might let you regain your confidence and drive with no issues.

Learn to Drive on Local Roads First

You can also become more confident as a driver by learning to drive on local roads before you ever try getting on the highway. On local roads, you can drive slower. You’re not driving at sixty miles an hour or more. At slower speeds, you might feel more confident.

First-time drivers usually learn how to drive in empty parking lots or on quiet back streets. You can do that, and you don’t have to get out on the highway until you feel ready. You can gradually get to that point.

When you’ve practiced on local roads for several weeks or even months, you can tackle highway driving for the first time.   

Avoid Highways

You might also get your driver’s license and stay only on local roads, never using the highway. That way, you avoid high-speed driving, and that might help you feel better about the situation.

On local roads, you’ll encounter fewer eighteen-wheelers and other large vehicles. You can drive at slower speeds, and you can stay in the slow lane as well.

All this can help you with your driving fears. If you never get out on the highway, a high-speed collision is not as likely. If you avoid highway driving altogether, getting to some places might take longer, but maybe that’s what you’d prefer.

Avoid Night Driving

Some drivers also fear night driving. You can turn on your headlights and see the road ahead of you, but that doesn’t mean you always see pedestrians, cyclists, animals, or anything else that might jump out in front of your car suddenly. You may not have confidence driving at night, and you might experience anxious feelings if you try it.

You can avoid night driving and only drive during the day. In daylight, you can see your surroundings better. You might handle any errands and return from your job in daylight, and never drive after sunset.

Eventually, you might start driving short distances at night. If you choose to avoid all night driving, though, you can usually make that work. You can ask family members for a ride if you need to go somewhere, or you can call for an Uber. Public transportation exists as well for those needing nighttime travel options.

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Drive with an Instructor

You might need an instructor’s encouragement to become a confident driver. If so, you can look for driving schools near you and hire someone.

Driving instructors know how to speak to young or inexperienced drivers. Some have done it for years. They can help timid drivers develop confidence. Whether you’re a teen learning to drive or someone getting past trauma, that calm encouragement should help you.

Driving isn’t for everyone, so if none of these options work, you might abandon it altogether. You probably don’t need a vehicle if you have public transportation options, cabs, and Ubers. Consider your unique situation and decide whether driving makes sense for you.