How can you Conquer Your Driving Fear?


 

For some, driving can be one of life’s most empowering and liberating joys. Unfortunately for some, the thought of getting behind the wheel might generate restlessness, sweaty palms and a racing heartbeat.

Driving phobia is also known as amaxophobia or vehophobia. Like any other phobia, driving anxiety can get hold of you at the worst of times, such as when you are in the middle of a commute down an extremely busy highway or taking a driving lesson.

Such a sudden swell of fear can be downright terrifying and disorienting. This might deter you from driving or even taking car rides despite taking classes from a good driving school. However, don’t worry, you are not the only one.

The good news is that this anxiety does not have to cripple you forever. With the right support, this condition can be improved. This article discusses 9 ways of conquering your driving fear to help you feel confident and empowered to return to your driving seat again. Hence, read on!

Top 9 Ways to Conquer Your Driving Fear

Irrespective of whether you are a seasoned driver or a beginner, driving anxiety might cripple you now and again. Thus, it is important to determine the root cause of your driving anxiety before coming up with possible solutions.

Your driving anxiety might be a general nervous feeling about getting behind the wheel or the lingering side effects of a ghastly accident that rattles your cage. Also, learning to drive by uncaring and unprofessional driving instructors might be the reason for your driving anxiety. However, the icing on the cake is that there are multiple ways to get over your driving phobia. Some of them are:

1. Choose Your Driving Instructor Wisely

One of the most important teachers in your life is your driving instructor. Hence, choose wisely. You will likely be better off with a driving instructor recommended by your family or friends.

You should identify whether the recommended driving instructor creates a positive experience for the learners by taking the necessary measures to reduce the chances of panic attacks among trainees.

2. Stay Glued to the Road and be Proactive

While driving, eliminate all possible distractions. If you solely focus on driving and try your best to keep your mind occupied with the steps necessary to drive safely, you are more likely to avoid negative thoughts and overcome driving anxiety.

3. Always Have an Action Plan if There are Chances of a Panic Attack

The best way to avoid panic attacks while driving is to tackle fear-induced incidents. For example, you can find parking lots while taking driving classes and add them to your plan. So, whenever you feel like you are having a panic attack while taking a driving class, you can stop at one of these parking stops and take deep breaths.

A plan designed beforehand will help you boost your confidence level as you know that you are prepared for any unexpected occurrences while driving. Also, before hitting the road, try using relaxation strategies to help calm your mind.

4. Avoid Unhealthy Behaviours Related to Driving

If you have a driving phobia, you might indulge in things like reading articles about car crashes, googling fatality rates of car accidents and other things to partially justify your driving anxiety.

However, these unhealthy habits will only aggravate your driving anxiety. Thus, try to identify and stop such unhealthy habits to make coping with your driving phobia easier.

5. Take Classes Lessons From a Skilled Driving Instructor

Seeking the help of a driving instructor might be helpful to make you feel more confident behind the driving wheel. Driving instructors from a reputed driving school will provide you with dual-control cars.

Such cars also allow the instructor to take control of acceleration and braking, giving you a “safety net”. It can be extremely valuable for you to deal with your driving anxiety.

6. Get Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

If you realise that you are very scared of driving and suffering from a serious anxiety disorder, then you should seek the help of a medical professional for cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).

These professionals can help you understand your fears and provide you with various coping mechanisms. They will also educate you about various therapies like exposure therapy. They might also prescribe anti-anxiety medication to have a better driving experience.

7. Start Driving in Low-Traffic Areas

If you are a beginner and also have driving anxiety, then you should mostly drive in car parks until you feel confident with rudimentary driving manoeuvres such as accelerating, braking, parking, reversing and avoiding obstacles.

After that, you can move onto light industrial areas or rural roads with low to moderate traffic. Practising driving in areas that have low traffic as it can help you reduce your driving anxiety because the majority of panic attacks arise when new drivers have to share their driving space with other passengers and drivers.

8. Have the Right Mindset

Constant driving anxiety can put you in a permanent fight-or-flight mode. However, this should not be the mindset of someone wanting to participate in a successful and relaxed driving lesson. Thus, if you have such a mindset, engage in simple activities to get your body and mind in the right state.

For example, you can do meditation exercises or listen to soothing music to calm your mind and relax your body. Also, getting an adequate amount of sleep might help you to reduce your anxiety while driving. Fatigue and feeling sleepy will likely alleviate your stress and increase the chances of panic attacks while driving.

9. Be patient With Yourself

Overcoming your driving anxiety might be a time-consuming process. However, you need to be patient with yourself and not rush through things. Know that “Rome was not built in a day.” Approach your driving phobia from a realistic perspective and take adequate time to conquer it.

Conclusion

Driving anxiety is reasonably common and can disrupt your daily life and negatively affect your well-being. As per statistical reports, almost 12% of Australians suffer from xenophobia, so you are not alone. However, the good news is that Academy Of Road Safety’s sister company Onroad Driving Education — Australia’s leading experts in driving education, can help you learn the skills required to be a confident and safe driver for life.

Onroad offers a wide range of driving lessons and courses for beginners. AORS offers training to people looking to become skilled driving instructors. We provide top-quality training programs and an excellent professional who can help you tackle your driving anxiety head-on. So, what are you waiting for? Contact Onroad or AORS today and seal that fear of driving off.

Source Link

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What is TLI41221? How to become a driving instructor in Australia

Image
  TLI41221 - Certificate IV in Transport and Logistics (Road Transport - Car Driving Instruction) is a prerequisite for obtaining a driving instructor licence in all Australian states and territories. The driving instructor Course aims to provide participants with the attitudes, skills, and knowledge required to achieve a qualification to deliver learner driver training services as an accredited driving instructor.  This training is divided into two sections: THEORY COMPONENT This component is carried out using simple manuals and workbooks. Once you have enrolled with Academy of Road Safety, you will receive training materials via email, as well as contact information for your trainer. This component can be completed in the comfort of your own home and at your own pace. It is finished by reading the manuals and working through the workbooks. Each of the 12 assignments will take between 8 and 12 hours to complete. If you have any questions or concerns about the e-train...
Read more

Be your Own BOSS!

Image
  Are you the type of person who enjoys a good challenge, prefers to work independently, likes a job with a lot of flexibility, or simply enjoys driving in general? If you answered yes to any of these questions, how to become a Driving Instructor could be exactly what you're looking for! You've made a significant decision: you want to not only be a driving instructor, but also own your own driving school. That's fantastic! You get to run your own business with independence and responsibility, and you play a critical role in keeping our roads safe.   ONE YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE First of all, You understand that as a driving instructor, you can make a significant difference in the lives of people—teens, new adult drivers, people working to improve their skills, and possibly older people who want to maintain their independence while also being safe. You have a lot of potential customers out there, and if you do your job well, they will also be your best advertiser...
Read more

Safety First: Teaching Defensive Driving as a Core Skill

Image
In a world where the pace of life is matched only by the speed of your vehicle, mastering the art of defensive driving isn’t just an option — it’s a necessity. Today, the roads have transformed into bustling corridors of constant motion, where split-second decisions can mean the difference between reaching your destination safely or facing a potential disaster. As you slide behind the wheel, the responsibility to safeguard your own life and those sharing the road with you rests heavily on your shoulders. Thus, as a  driving instructor  with a Certificate IV in Driving Instruction, it is essential to teach the learners the significance of defensive driving. But now you may be wondering what defensive driving is, why it is a core skill and why you should teach it. To answer all these questions, you must read this article till the end. So, let us begin! What is Defensive Driving? Defensive driving is a set of techniques and strategies to reduce the risk of accidents and promote s...
Read more