Fear of Driving

If you have a phobia for driving, don't think that you are alone. There are many people out there like you, who face the same phobia. Some are even afraid of driving behind trucks or even between trucks. Some have fear of driving over bridges, while some have fear driving at night. You are probably wondering whether there is a way to overcome this fear. Well the good news is there are several ways in which you can overcome the fear. Let us first see why people have this phobia.

Causes

Probably some past incident in childhood such someone's death in a car accident or maybe pressing the accelerator instead of the brake and then ending up in the river, or maybe knocking down a person while driving, has triggered off a fear in your mind. Whenever you are there behind the wheel, you start getting these flashbacks and thus, you start getting anxious about driving the car. You have engraved it on your mind that driving a car is dangerous and hence your body's 'fight or flight' response, commands the body to protect itself from any kind of harm. So even before your brain can figure out whether the whole fear for driving is appropriate or not, you give up. Thus, the causes of your fear for driving is nothing but psychological.

Overcoming Your Fears

If you can't even think about getting inside the car and driving it, you end up losing lots of fun moments of life. You miss out on taking your family out for a long drive, you miss out on trying your hands at all the great cars, you miss out on driving your date back to her place. In short, you miss out on lots of things. Also, at the time of emergency, such as taking someone to the hospital, you will not be of any help because of your fear.

Relax ~ Before getting into the car, first calm yourself down. Prepare your mind that you will only concentrate on driving and not on anything else. If you are not comfortable in the car, practice this method in your room. Just close your eyes, take deep breaths and visualize that you are at the wheel. Practice this until you are confident. Then try this out in the car. Be absolutely comfortable before you start driving. While driving, if you feel edgy again, then pull over and carry out the above exercise.

Get a Co-rider ~ If you feel that you will be more comfortable if there is someone in the car with you, then ask someone to sit with you. That will cut the tension. Also, if you have a fear of being alone in the car while driving, then this will help you to get over it. With time, once you are confident about overcoming your fear, start driving alone.

Play Music ~ Play some soothing music while driving. You can try some meditation music if you want. Soothing music relaxes your mind. Do not listen to loud music as it will not let you concentrate.

Small Steps ~ For the first few times you sit behind the wheel, just drive around your neighborhood. Slowly, once you gain enough confidence, increase the distance. Do not try to drive on the highway from the start. Take small and steady steps.

Driving Schools ~ There are many driving schools where they teach you how to get over the fear. Join it. They will be more than ready to help you.

Forget those Jitters ~ Some people also have a fear of bridges and driving on them. So next time when you approach a bridge, take in deep breaths and keep a clear head. There should be only positive thoughts inside your head. Relax, and think of it as just another road, nothing different. Carry on like this everyday and slowly, you will overcome your fear. You can also join the Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), which is the study of initiating positive thoughts in your mind, which has a positive impact on your behavior.

Now you know that your fear of driving is only in your head. Just follow the above steps and you will be able to overcome your fear in no time. It's a great experience, getting to drive your own car. Try it.