Afraid of driving a car?

Post Reply New Topic

I learned how to drive in parking lots then on country roads. While I was in the parking lots my dad would yell out stop as loud as he could to make sure I would hit the brake instead of the gas in panic. On my first time out on the road a guy pulled into a driveway without looking and backed out with out looking and almost hit me but I put the gas pedal to the floor and got out of the way before dad could say look out.

I'm afraid to drive a car too but I am 17 about to be 18 on 6/21

Mm, I'm scared, and a big part of it is my sensory defensiveness. I'm ALWAYS itchy, always having to stop and scratch myself somewhere, and I'm so sensitive to sunlight that even with sunglasses, if the sun is bright then my eyes hurt like hell, making it hard to see everything--especially when I squint to numb the pain. DX Also I get lost in my head far too frequently. I just see too much potential for danger.

yes I am almost 16 and am frightend of the notion of driving a metal death mobile.

hey kissemiss, im from sweden too and currently trying to get my drivers license.
i was also very afraid the first few times i tried driving, but after a 2-3 hours practise i really enjoy it now! (although theres so much to think about, which creeps me out.)

also i have a question for you:
have you done the "course" so you could practise driving with you parents, or are you only going to practise with a driving instructor?

cause i remember filling out a piece of paper (dont remember if it was for the course or just to be able to practise with an instructor), and there was a question if i had AS or some form of autism, and of course i said NO, cause i really wanna have my drivers license.
i dont know what the effect of saying yes to that question does, but maybe you dont get to take your drivers license then... i dont know.
just a tip to help you out

Technically your licence is therefore illegal just like mine!

I also refused to declare i had AS on my licence as after looking in various places they are very likley not to grant you a provisional licence. Persaonlly i cant see a problem with people with AS driving as we would seem to be the most sensible road users out of the lot... afterall how many of you would but a Vauxhall Corsa, get tinted windows, large sound systems and drive dangeriously around your local town?

It doesnt say anywhere even if you decalre you have AS on your licence so it seems pointless to declare it, the UK form however does not ask if you have AS / Autism it is a general disability (since when AS is a disability ill never know!) question and on the NAS website it says you have to declare AS in there.

Ive had 8 hours worth of lessons now and im getting on really well ... (in a manual car aswell!)

Well I am 17, here we can go for our license at 16 but honestly I don't like the thought of driving, I am just afraid I'll accidentally run someone over or crash the car.

Everyone keeps asking me why have I not gone for my license, and I don't really know what to tell them other then "It pollutes the atmosphere".

I haven't started driving yet because i have poor concentration

I'm 16, almost 17, but I've not got a learners permit, or even LOOKED at getting one. This is because:

1- It's totally unnecessary. Everywhere I want to go I can get there by walking or public transport.

2- There's simply not time. My parents are always struggling to be there for my family in the first place, it's not like they're gonna have time to sit in a car while I drive.

3- To be honest, it terrifies me. I can't cross a street without a traffic light crossing without working up a fair bit of anxiety. Needless to say, I'm not gonna do a lot better driving. The fact I can't tell how far away or how fast another car is doesn't help either.

I want to hold it off as long as possible.

I can sort of drive. I'm 19 right now and still have my learners permit (which ive had since 14, and here you can get a drivers license at 16). I go fine until my instructions are spoken loudly to me, or until things get really complicated, then I lock up. I also have great difficulty doing anything in reverse.

No not at all, I enjoy driving even after i've been in a wreck before.

SCARED TO DEATH!

Honestly had a bad experience when my sister decided we should learn together two years ago. The car's brakes squealed and I (impulsively) covered my ears. Did not end well.

well i kinda am because no one will teach me how to drive & i think i need to learn cuz there will be things far away i can't get to by foot

I would not be able to drive a car because my mom keeps complaining about dangerous and aggressive drivers on the roads. Since she complains about them alot, I would refuse to get a driver's license.

Have a permit and driving is not too bad for me. Not too experienced. Haven't tried driving on interstate highways or the city center so

I know exactly what everyone is talking about here, about being afraid of driving. I waited until I was 20 to get my license, putting it off until then precisely for the same reason. I just didn't want to confront it. I thought driving was a chaotic, unpredictable activity, with potentially fatal consequences, even for people who do everything they are supposed to do. I was forced to take a driver's ed course in high school, and of course, those things concentrate on scaring kids into not driving under the influence. They showed me a few movies on the subject; let me tell you, they may be effective on careless drivers, but they certainly don't help when you're neurotic and petrified of getting behind the wheel. I only got my license halfway through college, and that was only because it was a necessity due to my living situation at the time. I was nervous, but I'll tell you how I got through it:

First of all, professional lessons do help when you're starting. The important thing, if you're scared of driving, is really to build confidence. Having a professional in the car with you is a lot like having training wheels on-- it's a good way to give you enough experience to feel comfortable.

If you're like I was, thinking that you don't even have to be the one to make a mistake to be in jeopardy, keep this in mind: nobody wants to be in a car accident. For as many bad or inconsiderate drivers as there seem to be out there on the roads, they want to avoid accidents just as much as you. I've been through a few close calls (not all of them my fault), and I won't lie to you, they're scary. Your best defense is to be alert and knowledgable about what to do in these cases.

But of course, like anything else, the best way to become accomplished is to practice. You can go at your own pace. Start with quiet suburban streets, roads with less traffic, then gradually work yourself up as you become more comfortable with the car. Drive to the local supermarket sometime. Just, practice. I can't stress it enough. The confidence to drive comes from having actual time in the driver's seat.