Driving Anxiety

[Opaline]

I love driving, and I don't feel anxious about being on the road in general. I do get anxious when I have to interact in some way with other drivers though - basically the social part of driving. If someone is riding my tail, instead of ignoring them and continuing at the appropriate speed, I become anxious and feel I have to speed up. Or if I'm making a left turn and there are cars coming, and I have to wait, and a car behind me beeps out of impatience. No matter how hard I try, I can't seem to shake those anxious feelings.

I'm sure I'm not the only one who gets this.

 

[MikeyC]

Yeah, I understand the anxiety with those things. I don't like being beeped at out of impatience because sometimes the reason I've stopped is out of my control.

I love driving, too. I'm not a particularly good driver, though.

 

[PhantomPod]

Yep, I'm the same way and get anxiety in all of those same situations. One time, a cop was riding my tail and I got so nervous that I just started to speed up and then he pulled me over and gave me a ticket! WTF! It was one of those strange situations where I was getting anxiety and just ended up speeding up like an idiot instead of just moving into a different lane to try and let him pass.

Yesterday, I was waiting at a red light trying to take a left turn. I was pretty sure that the light was not going to give me a left arrow though and I could kind of tell that the people who were on the other side of the road waiting for the light to change were going to step on the gas as soon as the light turned green instead of being a decent person and waiting a second for me to turn in front of them. Sure enough, as soon as I got my green light, I started to go a bit to make the turn, but the truck across from me just stepped on the gas and didn't let me turn in front of them. It was a group of what looked like three teenage boys and they laughed and gave me the middle finger, like laughing cause I wasn't able to make my turn. It was honestly so strange to me the way this group of kids got such a kick out of being jerks. I will never understand that. It was so strange and immature of them that all I could do was laugh. I did manage to give them the finger too though :: lol.

 

[Lisy]

I stopped driving soon after I got my licence, but in the few months I used to drive I had the same problems, my father kept telling me to ignore everyone who beeps and stay calm, but it was very difficoult...
I think it is good that you love driving!
I had a bad experience with my instructor, I had so much anxiety in that period because of him, I also failed twice the driving exam... when I started to feel anxious even after I had my licence I just stopped

 

[laure15]

When I drive, especially on the highway and in unfamiliar places, I do experience anxiety. One time, I was waiting to turn left but was trying to be safe so waited a long time to turn. Several cars behind me honked at me and i do feel the pressure to turn left immediately, but at the same time I tell myself, "driving is a privilege, not a right, so if I make a mistake, I can hurt somebody and go to jail."

There was one time when I was on the road and the lights were red. My mother pointed to a store and talked about it, so I turned my head to look at the store. After I did that, I heard the passenger in the car next to us said in a loud voice, "What are you looking at?" and swore. Bad experience.

 

[MNM322]

i hate driving... but i do it.

i am ok but if get lost, i go right into panic attack mode and i can not drive on freeways. it scares me so much

 

[megalon]

Yesterday, I was waiting at a red light trying to take a left turn. I was pretty sure that the light was not going to give me a left arrow though and I could kind of tell that the people who were on the other side of the road waiting for the light to change were going to step on the gas as soon as the light turned green instead of being a decent person and waiting a second for me to turn in front of them. Sure enough, as soon as I got my green light, I started to go a bit to make the turn, but the truck across from me just stepped on the gas and didn't let me turn in front of them. It was a group of what looked like three teenage boys and they laughed and gave me the middle finger, like laughing cause I wasn't able to make my turn. It was honestly so strange to me the way this group of kids got such a kick out of being jerks. I will never understand that. It was so strange and immature of them that all I could do was laugh. I did manage to give them the finger too though :: lol.

Not to be a jerk, but if you're turning left and they're going straight across, they have the right of way, and you're supposed to wait for them.

 

[PhantomPod]

Not to be a jerk, but if you're turning left and they're going straight across, they have the right of way, and you're supposed to wait for them.

I am, indeed, aware of that. But there are many times where the first car or two turning left have a chance to make their turn before the others proceed going straight. And the way these kids acted showed that they were clearly just wanting to be d-bags and not want to give me a split second to make my turn.

 

[mikebird]

I've lived in the same place for 12 years.

I only drive for a supermarket or to the motorway for work in all kinds of different counties. First journey, such as an interview can be a bit daunting, but I've never suffered any pressure on the road. I see headlight blinks which I can only interpret as 'you first' at a crossing, and beeps for all types of complaint. Sometimes am a bit pushy but I never beep. I rely on a deep desire of everyone to not damage a vehicle. My car is too big for me. I was lucky to have it, and longer than my previous cars. Bad for parking or negotiating movements.

Anywhere else on the road is fine, surprisingly; my town is the worst. We have several motorway junctions. I decided about 20 years ago never to drive anywhere in this town, especially at weekends. What is it with people? Everyone desperate to speed in their 4x4 to the corner shop for a pack of cigarettes?

It's all got worse. 12 cars per family? I walk from one corner to the other of town; rivers, wildlife, walking through traffic. Why drive if you have legs?

Getting out of town at junctions is bad enough; worse than it was a decade ago. Forgetting peak hour, there are static gridlocks at lunchtime! Hours before that, and later! I used to think: 30 mins by rail or road to work, and the same back. What is going on at off-peak?

Plan is for a Monday 6am trip for groceries, and rush back before 0645, or there'll be no hope to move on the road until past midnight. Lots of horns in progress.

 

[GraybeardGhost]

I am, indeed, aware of that. But there are many times where the first car or two turning left have a chance to make their turn before the others proceed going straight. And the way these kids acted showed that they were clearly just wanting to be d-bags and not want to give me a split second to make my turn.

This sounds like a very good way to become a statistic. Can't say I'd recommend it.

 

[A1621]

One time, I was waiting to turn left but was trying to be safe so waited a long time to turn. Several cars behind me honked at me ..

That was YOU??? I was late for work because of that!!!

Of course, I'm kiddin' with ya.

 

[chibiXphantom]

i hate driving, even more so after my accident. it just freaks me out. im okay driving when there arent many people on the road, driving along in the country. but in the city, populated areas, or when im in traffic, i hate it. i get really nervous driving at night when cars pass me, or if people drive right behind me. i sometimes pull over, just so they can drive past me.

 

[truffleshuffle]

i hate driving... but i do it.

i am ok but if get lost, i go right into panic attack mode and i can not drive on freeways. it scares me so much

I am the same way, I try and keep a gps on hand but it sometimes gets lost too. I can handle freeways as long as its not to crowded. I hate driving at night on freeways though or just driving at night.

 

[laure15]

That was YOU??? I was late for work because of that!!!

Of course, I'm kiddin' with ya.

Actually, that incident occurred around 4-5 PM during rush hour when people were getting off work. I was waiting to turn left into a Walmart parking lot but the guys behind me were impatient.

 

[A1621]

Actually, that incident occurred around 4-5 PM during rush hour when people were getting off work. I was waiting to turn left into a Walmart parking lot but the guys behind me were impatient.

Omg! That WAS YOU!!! ))

 

[hardy]

No, you are not the only one..have similar experiences.I become self-conscious because of my shame/anxiety feelings. What if they see through my anxiety and judge me. Meditation(google "vipassana" if interested) helped me immensely in handling these situations.

Also please read this article which shows clearly what is happening: The Art of Living: Vipassana Meditation

 

[hardy]

Omg! That WAS YOU!!! ))

i just wanted to write lol...but it says, message too short'. Lol

 

[Littlewilly]

Sod'em all, that's there problem if there impatient.:thumbup:

 

[I'm Not There]

Some time ago, I always got anxious and used to speed up whenever someone was tailgating me. Nowadays, I just deliberately slow down to the exact speed limit (I admit I sometimes tend to exceed it a bit) and laugh as they get all mad behind their steering wheel without being able to overtake me .

 

[MikeyC]

Some time ago, I always got anxious and used to speed up whenever someone was tailgating me.

Actually, this happened to me. I was driving on a one-lane, unfamiliar road last weekend and this guy was behind me a lot, which made me anxious because I thought he was getting upset that I was driving too slowly. I couldn't relax until he turned a different direction.

In about 3 weeks I'll be driving to Melbourne again. Another 8-9 hours there and again the same back. I'm already looking forward to it!