How to grow your confidence if you’re an anxious driver

Whether you’ve just passed your test and are a new driver on the roads, if you dread driving in the dark or if you don’t like driving in busy town centres, we’ve compiled a list of top tips to help reduce driver anxiety and boost your confidence!

Get familiar with your car

If you know and understand where all the functions are in your car, you’ll feel a lot more comfortable when driving. Studying the owner's manual is always a good idea, so you can get an idea of each control and what it does. Consider where and how to turn your lights on, how to work the air con, where the button is to open your bonnet and your fuel cap. 

Also, it’s a good idea to gauge your vehicle dimensions for when it comes to parking. All of this will hopefully make you feel a lot more prepared and therefore more confident when driving.

Practice parking in a quiet spot

Parallel and reverse parking are probably the most stressful parking maneuvers you have to do when you’re in your own car. The best way to combat the stress that comes with doing these is to practice in a quiet place like an empty car park, or a quiet side street until you have grasped the basics and feel more at ease. It may take a few goes but practice makes perfect.

Be prepared

Study the route you’ll take for your journey before you leave, and while sat navs are good, always bring a spare map just in case.

Make sure you set up your driving position correctly so it is both safe and comfortable, your mirrors are all in the correct positions for you to be able to see clearly and that you’re not restricted by any bulky clothing, which could also make you overheat. Sometimes putting on a calming playlist can help too, or just drive in silence to have complete concentration.

Also allow yourself extra journey time, so if your journey is estimated to take 30 minutes, add an extra 15-20 in case you get stuck in a busy area.

Take a drive on your own

This may be daunting at first, but having passengers can increase the pressure on you, especially if you’re a new driver. Even if it’s just a 5 minute drive around your local area, this helps you learn in familiar surroundings and get a real feel for your car.

Ignore other road users

It’s so important you focus on your own driving and not others. Remember, you shouldn’t be focusing all your attention on drivers in your wing mirror or side mirrors, as you should be concentrating on the road ahead. Yes it’s good to be aware of them, but don’t let them intimidate you with their speed or anything else.
 

Put P Plates on

If you don’t feel completely confident yet, there’s no harm in putting some P plates on your car to let people know you’re a new driver. This lets drivers know to stay back and will give you more time when it comes to parking or getting in the correct lane. This lets you focus on the road without other drivers pressuring you.

Take advanced driving lessons

While normal driving lessons go through the basics, advanced courses cover motorway driving, defensive driving and other skills. For example, the AA offers refresher courses, Pass Plus courses and Motorway lessons from £25 per hour.

Practice!

Last but not least, practice. As the saying goes, practice makes perfect, and it couldn’t be more true. The more you get out on the road and experience more situations, the more you’ll learn and grow. Include parking, tackling roundabouts, dual carriageway driving and anything else you want to brush up on.

Driving at different times of the day can also help you get used to various driving situations. Take a morning drive when everyones on the school run, a lunchtime drive when it’s a little quieter, and an evening one so you can get used to the lower light. It’ll further help if you try driving in different weather conditions, but be sure to take it slow and abide by the speed limit.

Remember, everyone has had a point where they felt nervous driving, and it’s completely natural. There’s a lot to remember and to take into consideration, and if you do make a mistake it doesn’t mean you’re a bad driver, it just means you’re learning.