Are you tired of relying on a friend or your partner for a ride every time you need to go around the town? Well, sitting on the passenger seat all the time and not returning the favour can often be exasperating. So, if you have finally plucked up the courage to get a driver’s license, that’s a great start.
However, getting a driver’s license and getting out on the freeway are two very different things. The very thought of swerving into the wrong lane, denting a vehicle next to you or running over someone for the lack of control can be terrifying. Millions like you are affected by the freeway phobia every year, with their driving licenses sitting idle in their wallet and serving merely as an ID.
But let’s see the positive light here: Just you searching for this article means you are taking a step towards getting rid of your fear of driving. So, here I am to help you as much as I can so that you can finally take to the road and feel the breeze on your face with your hands on the steering.
6 Steps You Can Take to Overcome the Fear of Driving
Read on for a few steps that will help you overcome the freeway phobia with steady practice and fulfil your wanderlust!
Take a formal driver’s training course
If you have been learning driving from a friend or your sibling, and your ambit is the peaceful neighbourhood lane next to your house, that won’t certainly be enough. If you want to hit the road and veer amid traffic, you need to be sure of your driving skills. This is precisely why you must take a formal driver’s training course with an instructor by your side to guide you.
- A formal training course will teach you all the shortcuts required to manoeuvre a car smoothly.
- Moreover, you will get to drive around under the strict supervision of an instructor.This way, you will get some first-hand experience behind the wheel.
- If you want to be more confident before enrolling to a driving school, you can also try to experience the adrenaline rush of driving using virtual reality glasses.
- With driver’s training, you will be more confident to face every situation on the roads.
- Have someone by your side
What do you do when you stuck on an assignment? Do you snuck it under a pillow, or do you take assignment help from an expert and try to overcome the hurdle? Consider driving an assignment, and ask someone to accompany you. A lot of freeway phobia comes from driving alone. Here’s how having someone by your side will help:
- If you find that you are nervous due to the looming silence, tell someone to sit in the passenger seat next to you for mental support.
- Hit for the double bonanza by asking someone who has known how to drive for years.
- The light conversations, plus an extra pair of eyes to keep a watch on the sides, will surely help you drive more confidently.
Once get used to driving and parking your car, start taking short trips by yourself or with someone to accompany you. In no time at all, you will have overcome your fears.
Stick to early hoursinitially
The biggest reason why newbie drivers are afraid to take their car on the busy road is the fear of not being able to handle the traffic. Let me tell you this: it is completely normal. I have had a hard time getting out on the road for months after obtaining my license because I was afraid that other cars on the road would get frustrated for how slow I was.
Here’s how to manage your traffic trepidations:
- To avoid the crowd, try driving in the early hours of the morning when the traffic rush is comparatively lighter.
- With fewer people and cars around, you will focus more on learning about manoeuvring a car and less worried about running over someone on the sidewalk.
- Also, avoid late hours when it is cumbersome to spot people, animals and other vehicles.
Once you have overcome your fearof driving with practice in the daytime, take it a step forward by trying to conquer your fear of driving at night.
Make it a consistent habit
When you fall off a horse, you must get right back on that horse! This applies to most things we do in life, including driving. Like every skill, driving should be a consistent effort. You need to understand that you cannot have the expertise to go Rush Hour type berserk with a car after a few days of driving. Driving isn’t anything like the driving video games you play. Remember the following to become a more confident driver:
- DO NOT skip the morning routine after practising for a few days. There are no cheat days when it comes to driving.
- Driving is all about practice: the more you drive around, the better you get at handling a car.
- Also, do not let a minor accident deter you from driving again. Stay in practice all the time.
- When you get right back at it, you will lose your fears and enjoy driving once again.
Also, make sure that your driver’s license is up-to-date because you never know when you will have to drive due to an emergency.
Do not avoid driving on the highway
You may not be afraid of driving on local roads, but the thought of driving on highways, especially the multiple laned ones, can be terrifying. As a new driver, it sure can be scary. But you must remember the purpose here. You certainly have not learnt to drive solely to go to the nearby departmental store when you run out of supplies.
- Keep the goal in mind and try driving on highways that are lesser used and have light traffic.
- Also, avoid the ones with multi-lanes in the beginning.
- As mentioned earlier, it would be wise to choose a less busy time of the day when you know there won’t be many monstrous trucks on the highways.
With steady practice, driving on highways will become a comfortable forte.
Listen to light music
The driving instructor must have stressed how music can be a distraction many a time already. Yes, that is true, but partially. Music won’t be a distraction if you know what kind of music to play. Moreover, while driving, your focus should not be on the music. It should play out merely in the background to drown your fears and make you comfortable. Here are a few things to keep in mind when listening to music:
- Listening to fast music at high volumes is a big NO-NO.
- Try listening to indie tracks and soft ballads at a low volume to stay relaxed while driving.
- Keep a driving playlist ready so that you will not have to shuffle songs while driving.
The right kind of music can give you the right amount of adrenaline rush to beat your fear of driving without distracting you. You can try out this driving playlist!
Parting thoughts,
Driving should be something you enjoy and not something you are scared of. So, take the steps mentioned above to overcome your fear of driving. While at it, remember that driving isn’t a skill that you can master overnight. So, give it time and be persistent.
Bon voyage!
Author Bio: Karen Hamada is a professional driving instructor by day hailing from London, the UK. She is also associated with MyAssignmenthelp.com as an online tutor who provides CDR Report Writing Help to students.
