<p>I am afraid to drive long distances to my college. I don't like to drive because 1. I fear I may have an accident and 2. I'm afraid of being pulled over by the police.</p>
<p>So here's the story. I have to drive everyday to my community college and there are two ways to get there.
1. the highway route
2. the local roads</p>
<p>I usually take the local roads but the hardest part is going through downtown Morristown. It's so busy and has a lot of traffic. The highway route is faster. I took the highways to get to my college for a month until I got into a car accident on the way home from college. I wasn't hurt at all. I used to fear driving highways till I started driving it on a regular basis. But now ever since the accident, I feel scared when I drive.</p>
<p>The latest class I have ends at 5:15 PM which is on Tuesdays and Thursdays which is Flight Operations I, a Private Pilot Ground School class. Around that time it is night time. For the first two weeks every Tuesday I used to take a Intro to Aviation class. But I dropped it after the first 2 weeks since I do not want to drive at night.</p>
<p>Next semester, I do not plan to take any aviation classes because they end at around 5 or 6 PM when it is dark outside. I'm not good at driving at night and I hate to not take aviation classes because aviation and airplanes are my favorite topics. (I want to major in aviaton management but they don't have it at my CC so next semester I'm taking business classes.) My parents were shocked that I don't want to take aviation anymore, just because I don't like to drive at night. I feel anxious to drive home around 5 because the longer I wait, the darker it gets. I also fear driving in bad weather like heavy rain or snow.</p>
<p>What should I do if I fear driving? I was thinking of taking a train or bus there but it is kind of inconvinent for me to do that. My family used to have 3 cars; 1 for my mom and my sister to go to work and her school, another for my stepfather to go to the trainstation to go to work, and 1 for me to go to college. Now we have 2 cars and it is hard to use mass transit to commute.</p>
<p>You just need to get out there and regain your confidence. I was shaken for a while after I totaled my car, but eventually I regained my confidence by spending time on the road. When I first got my license I avoided the highway, but the only way to be confident is to log some hours.</p>
<p>Maybe ask for some driving lessons for Christmas? When I was learning to drive those helped me a lot and allowed me to stop being timid behind the wheel.</p>
<p>In regards to night driving/weather, just take it easy. Don’t be afraid to slow down and take your time. Don’t pay attention to people honking or whatever… It’s your car and it’s not your fault they’re in a rush. </p>
<p>Hesitation and nervousness will hinder your driving greatly. You need to be assertive when you drive otherwise bad things will happen.</p>
<p>quote: Maybe ask for some driving lessons for Christmas? When I was learning to drive those helped me a lot and allowed me to stop being timid behind the wheel.</p>
<p>But I already have my provisional drivers license.</p>
<p>I remember when I was in high school, before getting my license, I used to think how the heck am i going to drive to and from college and not get in accidents? Driving is easy and just takes experience to get comfortable with it imo. Take lessons? and if ur so anxious, why not live on campus?</p>
<p>For most people, driving anxiety eases up after they’ve been driving every day for a good while. If it doesn’t, you could think about professional advice for your anxiety.
If you’re afraid of driving in the snow, you could invest in a good set of snow tires. Rather expensive, but worth it for an anxious person.</p>
<p>ktsai91, the more nervous you are driving, the more likely you are to have an accident or appear suspicious to a cop. Turn on some of your favorite music, keep the volume down at first, make sure you actually listen to it, and just relax. Think about anything except your driving or being pulled over. If you aren’t speeding, don’t even look for cops. Heck, if you’re not speeding, don’t even glance in your rear view mirror unless you need to switch lanes. That way, you aren’t worried about other cars on the road, either.</p>
<p>The music is important, though. If you can manage to sing along, all the better! Just don’t forget that people are stupid and you might have to hit your brakes unexpectedly at any time.</p>
<p>Night driving takes practice. Trying to find a break in traffic to turn left can be stressful for anyone, except the stupidest of us (who probably assume it’s always safe to pull out in the turn lane or assume cars in the far right lane aren’t going to change lanes right when you try to pull out).</p>
<p>It is really not a good idea to not be thinking about your driving or paying attention to other cars on the road, no matter how nervous they may make you.</p>
<p>Most do not. I know of only one in my state, and it’s in a crappy city. And when OP graduates they will inevitably have to drive to work, so it’s better to overcome this now when you won’t get fired.</p>
<p>You really just have to force yourself to do it until you get used to it. If you are SO afraid that you physiologically cannot, then you need to talk to a doctor about it. And/or start slow, practice in the middle of the night or mid-morning when there’s little to no traffic because people are sleeping or at work, and ease into busier times of day as you get more comfortable-- that’s what I had to do, too.</p>
If you worry about not swerving, you’ll probably swerve worse. There’s a difference between paying attention to your surroundings and thinking about your driving. OP is afraid of being pulled over for some reason. A cop isn’t going to pull you over unless you’re being reckless, speeding, something is wrong with your car, or your driving seems suspicious.</p>
<p>OP, was the accident your fault? How bad was it? I had my first accident fairly recently and just barely hit the car in front of me, but I was a pretty DANG careful driver for the following couple weeks. It hurt my pride more than anything…</p>
<p>gotakun, yes the accident was my fault. I left the college around 5:15 or 5:30 PM. I was driving home on a highway with traffic lights, I was switching lanes and checked my blind spots. After I switched lanes, a car was stopped completely in the middle of the road waiting for the red traffic light to turn green. There was a long line of cars waiting for the green light in front of the 4X4 or SUV and it was near rush hour. I tried to stop the car but it was too late. I rear-ended a 4X4 or SUV at I’m guessing 20 or 30 mph. I wasn’t hurt at all. The car I hit didn’t have any dents or scratches at all but my minivan damaged its front part and the engine was damaged as well.</p>
<p>Usually, I don’t listen to music in the car when driving. It distracts me. However, I do sing to some songs I know out loud in the car. It does help me calm down a little bit.</p>
<p>You mention using a minivan. Is there anyway you could drive a normal passenger car for awhile? Personally I think I would find it easier to get used to driving in a passenger car- minivans are larger and more intimidating. </p>
<p>Get some practice driving at night over winter break. Take someone with you so they can help. </p>
<p>If not see if there are people you can ride to school with. My school has a rideshare board where people post every semester in hopes of finding someone they can ride with- or offering to take someone. Your school might have a similar website. Just be careful and know that just anyone can post on these boards. </p>
<p>When I’m driving I find about 95% of the time- night or day- everything goes perfectly. Once you get into a driving routine you really don’t even think about it. It’s only on the off chance that something will go wrong or if you go somewhere you’re not used to that things begin happening. Most of the time everything’s perfectly fine.</p>
<p>Not only could you practice driving at night but in different weather conditions. Take a family member with you and practice driving in the rain- on a safe, fairly empty road, of course.</p>
<p>You can’t let your fear of driving prevent you from doing what you love in life. It takes baby steps sometimes, but you’ll get there! You just have to be confident, but be cool and calm too.</p>
<p>I used to use a Toyota Previa minivan for a while till I got into that accident. It’s now destroyed and gone. I now use a Honda CRV to drive to school.</p>
<p>Sometimes I wish the US would adopt some of Europe’s stringent licensing tests.<br>
Virtually (more like literally) anyone can drive a car here. It’s not right.
Less cars on the road = safer and more fun for all. :)</p>
<p>You need to find and sign up for a “defensive driving” course. There are great ones all over. This is different from the basic driving class teens usually get. They will work with you on specific situations, how to handle driving/braking in all kinds of weather and lots more. You need this!</p>