5 Tips To Help You Feel More Confident Behind The Wheel

If you get anxious when behind the wheel, just know that you are not alone. A survey by The Zebra found that 66% of Americans experience driving anxiety. About 3 in 5 Americans reported having a traumatic driving experience in their lifetime. The Zebra also stated within a month of experiencing a traffic accident, 25-33% of people develop anxiety disorders like PTSD. Because of that, we are sharing five tips to help you feel more confident behind the wheel.

1. Try To Determine What Is Causing Your Anxiety

If you are trying to overcome driving anxiety, it can be helpful if you first understand what is causing it. Try to think back and remember any experiences that make you start feeling anxious. Maybe it was driving with anxious parents or a scene in a movie showing a traumatic car crash and it triggered your anxiety. Maybe you were involved in a recent car accident and now the anxiety has come out. By knowing what is causing the anxiety, it is easier to try and cope with it. When you can deal with it, it will help lessen the anxiety and make you more confident behind the wheel.

2. Stay In The Moment

It can be nerve-racking to drive in an unfamiliar place, as your mind may be thinking about what you may or may not encounter next. Will there be heavy traffic? Maybe you will have to do an unprotected left turn? Either way, you are thinking ahead and getting anxious about it. Instead, you should focus on the moment and work on getting through each part of the journey one step at a time. Also, you should try and get rid of any distractions in the vehicle, whether that is turning off the music, turning your phone off or knowing your route before getting in the vehicle, as GPS can be a distraction.

3. Learn To Relax

A great way to calm your nerves and gain confidence behind the wheel is by practicing some relaxation techniques. Anxiety can manifest in many ways, so first you need to figure out how the symptoms affect you and then determine an effective way to relieve them. If you experience an increased heart rate, then practicing some deep breathing can help you calm down. If your mind is working overtime, then try and put yourself in a mindful state before you even start the vehicle by putting on some calming music. If you begin to doubt yourself while behind the wheel, say some positive driving affirmations out loud or start a mental list of things you see in your surroundings (e.g. trees, stores, people walking, etc.) to help ground your thoughts.

4. Drive Outside Your Comfort Zone

This might seem a little odd, but this is a great way to face your anxiety head-on. By allowing yourself to gain the experience of driving outside of your comfort zone, you can work on alleviating some of your symptoms. A lot of drivers get anxious when driving in unfamiliar places, so if you are expanding your driving boundaries, then more and more places will become familiar to you as a driver. As you expand these boundaries and gain positive experiences while driving in new places, you are going to build up confidence in yourself and your driving skills that will help you overcome those anxious tendencies. Keep in mind that driving outside of your comfort zone will trigger your anxiety, so it is best to start small and remember to be patient with your progress.

5. Practice With An Experienced Driver

After getting your driver's license, you may be allowed to drive without an adult, but that doesn't mean you have to! There is a lot to learn when it comes to driving, so it is completely understandable that you don't know everything. It is going to take time to learn what to do in every situation that may come up. By driving with a parent, sibling or other experienced driver, they can give you some instructions on what to do if an unusual situation happens. By gaining even more practice time, it will help you gain even more confidence.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to our friendly support staff. If you want to start your driver's training journey with Coastline Academy, make sure to sign up for Drivers Ed and book your driving lesson today.