How to Overcome Driving Anxiety - Positive Feedback Loop

How to overcome driving anxiety when you are learning to drive. It is very common for people to feel anxious when learning to drive, in this video I explain how I help learner drivers gain confidence behind the wheel.

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This video is a guide intended to help people who are learning to drive with a driving instructor in the UK, it is by no means a replacement for driving lessons with an appropriately qualified driving instructor.

Laws and driving rules may be different in your country. The makers of this video cannot be held liable for any consequences caused by any information that is in any way inaccurate, misleading or missing. The makers of this video are not liable for any person's driving other than their own, it is the responsibility of the person driving a vehicle to ensure they drive safely and within the law. The makers of this video are also not liable for any person failing a driving test as a result of the information provided in the video.

[tiergartenmusic]

It’s three years since I had my first lesson and coming up to two years since I passed my practical test. I put off learning to drive for over 25 years out of fear. My driving instructor used to say that no-one was born with a steering wheel in their hands.

To everyone reading this who’s anxious - if I can do it, so can you! Keep learning, keep practicing. It does get easier, much easier. All of the things that you might be stressing about, for example, finding the biting point or roundabouts, I was the same. Now I don’t even consciously think about them, it’s as easy as walking. You can do it!

[thegreenlandshark]

I'm afraid of crashing and damaging property/hurting someone and it being my fault.

[jahva]

I think most of the anxiety comes from the way learners are treated, I honestly feel a lot more comfortable driving without L plates on.

[mahqindia]

I am 41 and feel ashamed of going to driving instructors who make fun of me, I had few bad experiences when I was young while learning to drive, so I thought I can never be a good driver and quit for many years. But Now at this age and with a family I feel ashamed of depending on others for conveyance. I regret not learning to drive for so long, but recently I started learning and after few good lessons feel it’s doable and I can drive. Hope I get better at it and make my family happy.

[angb]

It’s true that other road users make our anxiety worse, they have no patience at all!!

[abigailmcdonald]

I nearly quit my driving lessons entirely because I had to go through so many instructors. I thought I was the problem. Turns out I just needed the right one for me, and needed extra practice in order to feel confident in my driving. It's okay it took longer, because I got my license 5 days ago and it was worth all the doubting and fear. Thanks for your amazing videos!

[tobyntoby]

You're a good instructor not only because you're knowledgeable, and have a sense of humour, but also understand learner's difficulties, and compassionate.

[MoonBoomChannel]

*Slows down*
Conquer driving: "It's okay."
My instructor: "God damnit, you drive like an old man."

[abigailmcdonald]

I nearly quit my driving lessons a few weeks ago due to anxiety. My instructor even suggested cancelling my test because I couldn't gain control of my nerves and therefore also couldn't gain control of the car. As soon as I learned to calm down and not be so anxious, my driving improved incredibly, and I've been passing mock tests since. I honestly thought I was a terrible driver and would never ever drive, but it just turns out I'm a very scared driver. There is a massive difference. I've been doing a lot better since realizing this and trying different things to help myself feel more confident. My test is in two weeks, wish me luck haha!

[keepthefaith]

I want this guy as my driving instructor he sounds amazing so caring to his customers

[NahinAbdul]

I've taken 3 lessons so far and part of what annoys me and makes me more nervous and anxious is when the instructor nitpick every single mistake, so I feel like I'm being judged and it's not helping

[julyanjohns]

this vid, combined with the comments section, are exactly what learners suffering from anxiety need. i never knew there were so many of us :)

you hit the nail on the head with your advice to identify what's making us anxious and accept it will be there until you get more practice in. i've been learning for 8 months (with a 4 month gap during lockdown) and used to get really anxious doing right turns at junctions, pulling away at traffic lights, and when people drove really close up behind me.

my instructor helped me by discussing why i felt nervy in these situations, then we went to less busy roads to practice specific skills to use, and then went back to redo the same situation again.

for example, pulling away at traffic lights.

problem - pulling away to fast, stalling, or taking too long to pull away. my reason for this was i didn't want to cause problems for other drivers by being slow, so i would get anxious, then stall or move off too fast because i wasn't focusing on my routine, or rushing.

reason - lack of confidence in my clutch control and ability to pull away smoothly and calmly, plus getting stage fright when the lights changed because i felt pressured by myself to be as good as the other drivers.

solution - accept that i'm going to be slower than everyone else, and that's ok. practice clutch control in a safe place, balancing the car, moving off, etc.. til i felt more confident in my ability, then get back to less busy junctions where we could practice rights, then go back and do it at the junction where the problem originally occurred.

result - everything went like a charm :) like the advice in the vid, it's about building up your confidence, working on the skills you need in a gentler environment, practising it on less busy roads, then confront your problem head on in the original situation again. you'll find that it's a lot less stressful, and then over time it'll fade into the background.

now i'm happy doing 70 on a dual carriageway, roundabouts and junctions are enjoyable, and i'm smooth as silk moving off at traffic lights lol

there will be other problems in the future that will be challenging. i'm dealing with meeting cars in busy streets in my lessons at the moment, and i got nervous a couple of times, but if you use this approach you'll get there fine.

obviously everyone is different, and you need a good instructor who will do this. different problems need a variety of solutions, but this vid's message is the best i've seen online. identify the reason for your anxiety. talk with your instructor about it. practice til you feel confident. face your fear, and keep driving :)

[shahali]

Passed my driving test second time with only 4 minors, I finally ‘conquered’ my driving, thanks to you Richard

[OrangeSound]

I got my driving license 7 years ago and never drove after that out of fear. I kept thinking how one mistake could literally cost me my life or I could kill somebody else. I realize now that was mostly because I never felt like I have good control over the car. I've been watching your videos for a while and learned so many important things I wasn't aware of! No wonder I kept stalling the car and causing it to move in a jerky fashion. Now with my new knowledge I started driving a little with my husband and this time I'm actually excited to get behind the wheel! Still a little anxious, but not like the first time I was learning. I feel how I'm making progress and I actually enjoy driving! I don't know how to thank you enough for this and I really wish I could pay you somehow! Maybe consider giving us the option to donate to the channel? Thank you very much for the great work!

[breakfastworship]

The best way is to think of what's ahead and ignore what's behind you.

[thejaymacshow]

I recently passed my test and one thing that made me a lot less anxious while driving is me noticing other drivers making the same mistakes I did/do. People stalling, not indicating,  nearly causing accidents, unable to parallel park in one motion or even struggling to park altogether, this has made me a lot less anxious in general when driving now.

[asasdsaasda]

My driving anxiety starts when I go in an area i never drove, especially when i go somewhere and i have no idea the road ahead, right? left? wtf will be ahead, will i have a parking spot etc etc

[dougscott]

When I learned, making mistakes caused me anxiety because I dwelled on them. Don’t do this, as it’s par for the course to make errors. What helped me in the end was to focus on not making that error again. Ask your instructor what you could do better, and think about what you could do to avoid the error next time. In other words, embrace your mistakes and learn from them.

As Richard said, most people won’t mind you being a little slow. Always take your time and proceed smoothly. Rushing and stressing will lead to stalls and other errors, and it’s these that will eventually cause annoyance. As your confidence grows, look to make progress and one day you’ll find that you’re no longer the one holding everyone up!

[abduldesign]

As a learner I found myself stressed out when I try to rush things and move off as quickly as I can just because the car beside me is ahead of me, but my brother advised me to take my time and stay calm which has helped me become more comfortable moving off at my pace and not hold anyone back while doing it! Also the more I am on the road the more confident I feel in my self. I think it’s about dealing with the pressure rather than trying to learn everything from the start! Just take it step by step, it’s like riding a bike after a while it gets stuck in your mind 🙌 great advice

[veggiesaurus]

I've just recently passed and found myself very anxious to keep practicing, hills and busy roundabouts really give me anxiety and it's hard to build up the confidence on busier roads without just going out and doing it. Getting the hang of pulling away in my new van is taking me a while and has knocked my confidence but I know the more I practice on quieter roads the better I'll get, just have to make myself keep trying.