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Default Feb 06, 2021 at 06:56 PM
  #1
I lost my best friend in a car accident when I was nine years old. I stop riding my bicycle. I was seventeen years old when I tried to learn to drive with one of my brother and after that I started shaking and trembling from that point on. I was twenty two when I was rear end and by the time I was twenty four I was in another cat accident when a ninety three years old slam into the driver side. How do I break the fear of driving?
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Default Mar 14, 2021 at 07:22 AM
  #2
Hi Buffy,

You need lots of practice. Practice as often as you can, every day, starting around your area that you are familiar with and the time and places that there are few cars around. Practice in the parking lot and try to master just being able to park your car beside another car. As you get more and more comfortable with parking, gradually do more. Make sure you always look all ways before you proceed with caution. Be alert, patient and careful. Get a good driving instructor that is patient and understanding if possible.
Try to concentrate on driving areas that are safe. If you find a unsafe road, avoid using that route again. It is always good to be cautious and follow the rules. I know it is scary. It has been for me too but now i can drive places that are familiar to me.
I have family member and friends who don't drive and are afraid to. I could have been like them and give up after failing drivers test but it bothered me. I think you could remind yourself what are the benefits of learning such as being to get to work and being able to run errands and get so much done and having a sense of accomplishment in doing something difficult.

Last edited by bluekoi; Mar 14, 2021 at 11:35 AM.. Reason: Edit for continuity
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Default Apr 11, 2021 at 08:52 PM
  #3
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Hi Buffy,

You need lots of practice. Practice as often as you can, every day, starting around your area that you are familiar with and the time and places that there are few cars around. Practice in the parking lot and try to master just being able to park your car beside another car. As you get more and more comfortable with parking, gradually do more. Make sure you always look all ways before you proceed with caution. Be alert, patient and careful. Get a good driving instructor that is patient and understanding if possible.
Try to concentrate on driving areas that are safe. If you find a unsafe road, avoid using that route again. It is always good to be cautious and follow the rules. I know it is scary. It has been for me too but now i can drive places that are familiar to me.
I have family member and friends who don't drive and are afraid to. I could have been like them and give up after failing drivers test but it bothered me. I think you could remind yourself what are the benefits of learning such as being to get to work and being able to run errands and get so much done and having a sense of accomplishment in doing something difficult.
I tried to go to a driving school and was denied because a family member told the school I am deaf and was told that I am not welcome.
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Default Apr 11, 2021 at 09:27 PM
  #4
That’s ridiculous. I am deaf and I drive and have taken drivers classes to get reduced insurance rates. Go somewhere else.

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Default Apr 13, 2021 at 05:19 PM
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That’s ridiculous. I am deaf and I drive and have taken drivers classes to get reduced insurance rates. Go somewhere else.
I felt really hurt. This guy ask for me to do a physical. He work with the school for the deaf he would know you go to ear nose and throat clinic not a primary doctor. He totally bad mouth someone who couldn't see out his left eye and another who couldn't read. He sound very racial. He started screaming at me about discriminations when he clearly discriminating me. I pretty certain that I just been rip off.
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Default Apr 13, 2021 at 06:23 PM
  #6
He sounds like a total rip off artist don’t give him a thought he was the one in the wrong.

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Default Apr 14, 2021 at 09:01 AM
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He sounds like a total rip off artist don’t give him a thought he was the one in the wrong.
The only answer that I got was that the owner didn’t feel comfortable with me having severe hearing loss. Then later on he calls me with the accusations of how they don’t discriminated against hearing impairments. All I want to know is why would I need a physical exam? What would a physical exam have to do with me taking a driving lesson when I am only deaf? I did apologize to the lady who I had spoken with who had understood my concerns. This is my private information he was discussing with my niece who had no right to speak to him about my disability. I’m tempted to call the school for the deaf and ask if they were aware of what this driving school is saying about this their school that could land them into a big fat lawsuit.
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Default May 05, 2021 at 01:11 PM
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This time the driving school want to know what kind of medication I am taking, who been taking me to the doctor. I felt discriminated again. The deaf school was mortified to hear how the driving school bashed their name that could end in a lawsuit against the driving school who had violated many ADA law. This time they claim years ago that I never told them I was deaf and they want to cover themselves for reliability.
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Unhappy May 05, 2021 at 07:27 PM
  #9
Everyday for years I fight thru driving anxiety…Large bridges, long drives, and being out in the middle of nowhere raises my anxiety behind the wheel. ☹️ I guess i’ve gotten so used to it, the anxiety has all but diminished altogether 😕
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Default May 06, 2021 at 02:33 PM
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Everyday for years I fight thru driving anxiety…Large bridges, long drives, and being out in the middle of nowhere raises my anxiety behind the wheel. ☹️ I guess i’ve gotten so used to it, the anxiety has all but diminished altogether 😕
I get motion sickness when I am in a vehicle to long.
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Default May 07, 2021 at 08:07 PM
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Everyday for years I fight thru driving anxiety…Large bridges, long drives, and being out in the middle of nowhere raises my anxiety behind the wheel. ☹️ I guess i’ve gotten so used to it, the anxiety has all but diminished altogether 😕

This is me. I have panic attacks when driving on the highway, driving in the middle of nowhere, or driving over long bridges or overpasses. All those scenarios make me feel a lack of control, and I start to feel like I will lose control of my car. I started doing driving sessions with my therapist, but the lockdowns put an end to that aspect of my therapy, and I never made much progress with my fear of driving.


I think the more practice you can get, the better you will feel. Remind yourself that you can always pull over if you start to panic, and you can plan your route to avoid scary situations as much as possible. For instance, the "avoid highways" option on Google Maps is valuable to me. The more you drive, the easier it will feel. It takes time.
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Default May 14, 2021 at 07:08 PM
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This is me. I have panic attacks when driving on the highway, driving in the middle of nowhere, or driving over long bridges or overpasses. All those scenarios make me feel a lack of control, and I start to feel like I will lose control of my car. I started doing driving sessions with my therapist, but the lockdowns put an end to that aspect of my therapy, and I never made much progress with my fear of driving.


I think the more practice you can get, the better you will feel. Remind yourself that you can always pull over if you start to panic, and you can plan your route to avoid scary situations as much as possible. For instance, the "avoid highways" option on Google Maps is valuable to me. The more you drive, the easier it will feel. It takes time.
I will keep that in mind.
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Default May 15, 2021 at 11:49 AM
  #13
Well I can’t say I am afraid of driving but I don’t drive on bridges, I guess i would if I had to but I am very uncomfortable.

I don’t drive in high elevation, thankfully it’s flat by me but i have hard time even being a passenger in the mountains.

I know people who are afraid to drive in tunnels and can’t understand how I am ok with tunnels. My husband is scared of tunnels and if we have to go in a tunnel I am the one driving. They don’t scare me.

I am scared to drive in a snow

My daughter doesn’t drive. She lives in a city and is a successful professional, driving isn’t a requirement. My aunt is a successful business woman, now retired, she never drove on a freeway. Always just side roads.

Not driving or not driving under certain conditions is inconvenient but isn’t the end of the world.
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Default Jun 17, 2021 at 01:42 PM
  #14
The only thing that bothers me when driving is a vehicle fault. Since I do maintenance and am quite capable at this, when I drive my car I am not anxious. This sounds silly I know but it really makes a difference.
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Default Jun 19, 2021 at 08:37 PM
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The only thing that bothers me when driving is a vehicle fault. Since I do maintenance and am quite capable at this, when I drive my car I am not anxious. This sounds silly I know but it really makes a difference.
I wished that I had more memory of my dad working as a mechanic so I would know more about maintenance.
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