Nervous driver

I passed my test in October of last year, I learnt to drive in my own car (2003 Ford Ka - 53 plate) yet I still feel really nervous when I drive on my own. I think I was less nervous when I had L plates!! I have had a drive confident lesson with the AA and I was told that my driving is fine, the guy told me I was a safe and competent driver and that he had no concerns about me driving on my own . . . so why am I still nervous? I wont drive myself to university at the moment because of the road works and traffic so I am on the bus. When I drive with my dad in the car I feel fine. I'm just worried about something going wrong or doing something wrong. It's making me really anxious and its getting me down quite a lot because I feel pretty pathetic. My friends and family keep saying I should just go out and drive on my own but the thought of driving on my own makes me feel anxious, especially during busy times. I have to drive from Bristol to Chippenham everyday next year for my PGCE so I really need to sort this out. I'm close to giving up, I keep telling myself that I will sort it out and that I can become a confident driver but the weeks keep passing by and I still barely drive. Hill starts still petrify me. I am so scared that I could roll back. Anyway I am rambling now. Just want some advice really . . . or someone who can reassure me that I am not on my own with this issue.

Thanks X

Reply 1

thesongbird

You're not alone, when I started I was so nervous my fingers would be stiff and aching when I got out the car because of how hard I'd grab hold of the wheel. You should absolutely not avoid driving anywhere for any reason and go out when you don't even need to, just to practice. Try a journey when it is quiet, try some at night, deliberately try hills. Don't be embarrassed about how much gas you put on for a hill start. Really the only way you are going to help yourself here is to drive everywhere and test yourself with everything. I made mistakes when I first started that I cringe when I remember, but we all do! And to be honest with how nervous I was I can't believe I've come this far that I'm able to advise someone on it now. It happens to everybody and we all get over it.

I would totally go out in those roadworks and traffic just to get some practice with that.