Driving Anxiety: How to Get Over a Fear of Driving

If the thought of driving makes your heart race, you’re not alone. Driving anxiety affects learners who haven’t started yet, learners partway through, and qualified drivers who’ve stopped driving after a scare or a long break.

Where it comes from

It might be one bad experience, a fear of making a mistake in front of others, worry about motorways or busy roundabouts, or impatient drivers behind you. Knowing what triggers it helps you tackle it one piece at a time.

Small steps work

• Start somewhere quiet. Calm residential roads at quiet times of day.
• Add one new thing at a time. A busier road, then a roundabout, then a dual carriageway.
• Repeat until it’s boring. Confidence comes from doing something enough times that it feels normal.
• Notice your progress. Roads that scared you a month ago will start to feel easy.

Tell your instructor

A good instructor will plan around your anxiety, explain everything before you try it and never rush you. Dual controls mean they can step in if needed, which takes a lot of pressure off.

In the moment

Slow breathing helps: in for 4, hold for 4, out for 6. If you feel overwhelmed, it’s always fine to pull over somewhere safe and take a break.

When to get extra help

If anxiety is affecting your daily life, not just driving, it’s worth speaking to your GP as well.

Learning to drive? See our lessons for nervous drivers. Already qualified? Refresher lessons can help you get back on the road. For test day, read how to calm driving test nerves.