How do you get over anxiety of driving?

Get in a few minor accidents and realise that its not all bad. You can take a first aid course to be prepared.

Yeah, getting into a few minor accidents is going to help someone with driving anxiety? What the hell?
This might be something you need to talk to a therapist about. There could be some underlying factor that is upsetting you. Driving shouldn’t be this anxiety-inducing.

That’s what i’m saying. No one can live like that.

@sq – Driving can be anxiety inducing especially if ops family/friends have history of major accidents or seen something on the road which might have caused it. It can be a phobea also. It’s best to talk to therapist if there are any circumstances leading to the anxiety who can help her to get over it.

Thats why I suggested the therapist.

I got over my driving anxiety by practice driving alone until I felt very capable and confident.

It sounds like you’ve found an issue which has some baggage handed down from past generations, and that it would be worth giving attention to healing. So, any of the variety of practices that can help with such things: therapy, holistic peer counseling, meditation, and other practices.

I, for one, very much appreciate her caution! Too many people don’t take the driving seriously enough. Just pay attention and anticipate. You’ll eventually relax. And I agree that getting into a fender bender early on is a very good teacher.

Like @Zaku, I practiced driving alone, out in the country for quite a long time. I was terrified to take the car on our little main street in town!

Anxiety related to driving is very common. Most people who have it have free floating anxiety in general. Seeing a therapist to address your general anxiety (if you have that) could help. Also, some therapists specialize in phobias, and that might help also.

The more you drive, the more comfortable you will become.

I used to be afraid of getting into a crash, not anxious about it, but it just seemed like a crash is such a horrible thing. Then I began to realize that most accidents people don’t get hurt. Also, my husband started racing, and I saw cars going 100 mph crash or spin out, and the drivers over and over walked away with no problem. They have special safety equipment, but still it was amazing. These guys suit up and race at high speeds not afraid of crashing at all I guess? Not that they want to crash, but it’s not something they “worry” about. They focus on the driving.

Drive the same route over and over, and eventually that route should be easier and easier. Slowly expand where you drive. Drive safely. Arm yourself with information. Know the traffic laws, keep good distance from other cars, use your signals, don’t speed. Stay right on the interstate if you drive slowly, if you need to go a little out of your way to make the drive easier do that. I drive a few blocks more to use a traffic light to make a left turn rather than dodge traffic for instance.

If you feel your not a great driver address where you feel insecure. If you don’t feel you have good depth perception, go to a parking lot and park so you think your left tire is on the line. Get out of the car and see if you nailed it. If you are two feet away, do it again. Do it until you know where that tire is on the road. Then do it with the front of your car, then the right tire, etc. When I drive my car it’s the same as if I was walking, I know where I am on the road. When I drive my husband’s huge truck, not so much. Lol.

Don’t drive distracted. Don’t talk on the phone, don’t text, don’t eat, don’t think about the fight you had with your friend, stay focused.

Perhaps this will help you. I’ve been rear-ended twice while driving in heavy traffic. Neither were my fault but my insurance went up anyway, and one company canceled my policy (as if it were my fault)! I have learned to make every effort to avoid driving during rush hour. I always avoid heavy clots of traffic, and I will pull into a parking lot or driveway and wait until there is little traffic on the road again before I proceed.

It might take me twice as long to get home, but I am determined never again to be the victim of somebody else’s stupidity on the road!

I’ve done the same. When the roads get icy I proceed with caution, unlike so many others. I’ll get people piling up behind me, angry that I’m doing 40 in a 60. Fukem! I’m not going to let anyone tell me how to drive on roads like that. Eventually I’ll pull over to let them go on by, then pull out and start all over.
FWIW, I have never, not once, had an accident because of ice, and I’ve never slid off the road, either.

Thank you everyone !! I might talk to a theripist. These are things I do too. If it means not going on major roads, or not some major roads, taking a route that’s a little slower I will, and avoiding rush hour. I guess I don’t always have to drive in the snow, there’s other options like uber and car pool, it’s not like it snows a lot. And I have to reaslize that not everyone gets in accidents. I have been in a fender bender in my high school parking lot once, and I didn’t like it one bit. I guess if I do all of that, then it should help avoiding accidents. Not everyone gets in them. I have been in 1 with my friend too, she drove, but I never want one again cause I know I won’t drive. I wonder if my family’s fear comes from trauma from an accident way before I was born.

The most important thing you can do to avoid accidents is anticipate and never let your attention sway from the road. Never. Almost every time there is an accident, the person who was in it starts out with, “I just looked up and…..”