Terrified of driving on unfamiliar roads / night driving

worried123

daveyjp wrote: »

Get yourself booked on a pass plus course. You will cover many more types of driving than you need for the test.

Night, motorway, dual carriageway, country roads (highest for accidents), urban, bad weather

this course sounds really good to me. you arent alone, when i first went out on my own after passing my test i was petrified. 40 years later i still dont like driving down dark country lanes etc. Your confidence truly will grow with experience. Its completely natural to be afraid and apprehensive to begin with.

good luck

suki1964

I second getting the P plate

Here in NI, new drivers for the first year have to drive with R plates and are restricted to speeds of 45MPH - even on the motorway - and believe me, it really does help as other drivers, if they have any decency about them, pull back and give you the space and time you need.

I remember when I passed, I swore blind my R plates were staying for good as there was no way was I ever going to need to drive any faster then 45 and I was never going to have confidence at roundabouts nor need to go any further then the nearest supermarket car park

That first year I clocked up 20K miles

And yes night driving isn't easy. I live in the country, there is no street lighting. Being blinded by oncoming cars is the biggest nightmare. I always make sure my windscreen and glasses are spotless as it really helps esp in the rain

Mercdriver

Personally, driving at night can be safer. That blind bend that you have to feather your brakes as you approach it? The approaching car's headlights will tell you they are coming. Same when it comes to junctions. It's all about attitude.

Being cautious is healthy, it stops you from being over confident, but in extremis it can make you freeze which can be dangerous. As others have said, maybe get some night lessons from your instructor.

Also try not to constantly over analyse your driving. That is a distraction which can lead to another error. Even the most experienced driver can make make mistakes. Learn from them and move on. Don't overthink, you need all your attention for the idiotic mistake someone else will make.

Drive in a way that assumes everyone driving (including yourself) is about to do something daft. That will help you moderate speed and drive more defensively rather than reactively.

prowla

I quite like driving at night - you can generally see where the other cars are, because they have headlights!
One technique for improving your driving is to give yourself a running commentary as you are going along:

• Coming up to a junction, which way should I turn, don't forget to indicate correctly.
• Speed limit is 30.
• Approaching zebra crossing, be aware.
• Road is wet, remember stopping distances.
• Car ahead isn't indicating on roundabout, so they might take any exit without warning.
• What are the road markings?

But don't forget to drive properly whilst doing it!

barbiedoll

This is perfectly normal after passing your test, many of us felt the same! My husband bought me an old banger and so I had to drive to work each day....it was terrifying for the first few weeks. I had a 2-lane 30mph road, with numerous roundabouts to cross (no-one drives at 30 until they approach the 2 speed cameras), a heavily congested one-way system to negotiate, a horrible box junction and the school run, it was awful. I did stall at the lights, I did go in the wrong lane and got stuck behind a bus, and I did get beeped at, more than once.

But....I’m still here to tell the tale. I do get the “trying to please other drivers” thing, I drive a tiny car, in a world full of massive 4x4’s and impatient Audi and BMW drivers (who have no idea what indicators are for :mad:) I’ve nearly always got someone up my backside, just because I can’t get away at the lights at 50mph, although not for want of trying. I have realised though, that other drivers really don’t want to hit you, despite their sometimes awful driving habits. I dare say I’m not the best driver in the world, but if someone gets exasperated by being stuck behind me....well, I’m just as impatient when I let someone out of a junction and they then meander along at 15mph, while jabbering on their phone.

Drive as much as you can, I know it’s scary and you have to force yourself to do it, but practice really does make it easier. I still hate going to somewhere unfamiliar but I use Google maps to plan my route, and I’ll use landmarks to place myself (a postbox, a big tree, a red door, etc). Driving is very stressful, especially in towns and cities, but we’re all sharing the road, you will learn to cope with the cyclists, the roadworks, the oblivious pedestrians stepping out in front of you, etc.

Couple of tips....keep your window open slightly, if you can’t see a motorcyclist, you’ll probably hear them. Also good on blind corners.
Don’t rely on other people’s indicators...they forget to turn them off!
Assume that everyone on a roundabout is an idiot, people are always in the wrong lane, use your mirrors.
Pedestrians wear headphones so they don’t hear you. They WILL walk out in front of your car. Do blast your horn, they need telling!

Money_maker

I used to work in the community in the evenings and would go out in fading light/twilight and be in and out to the car doing short runs all evening. Think maybe starting out at twilight and watching the light fade as you drive may be easier to learn to cope with than straight out in the pitch black. Can be tougher when it rains and the street lights reflect puddles etc.

Mercdriver

I gave myself a baptism of fire - my first big drive was a week after I passed. It I drove from Bridgend in south wales to Peterborough then a few days later down to Salisbury and then up to the Lake District. All on one tank of diesel. I was driving in central London a week later. Face your fears with cautious confidence rather than total caution. I passed my test after doing an intensive (had 5 x 2 hours lessons before) course, and was 43 when I passed.

I know when I have made an error driving, and because I travel in Asia a lot, I can swear at people in Korean when others cut me up.

Sea_Shell

One of the worst has got to be sun in your eyes on a wet road....blinding!!

indianabones

There is a reason why experienced drivers are generally safer. So my advice is to drive exactly as you did during your test and with your instructor before the test and you will be fine.



Wet roads in the Sun are bad. If it's a motorway get behind a lorry and if it's a normal road then just drive slower and concentrate.

danandjens_worldtravels

You need to stop worrying about missing your exit or junction. If you do just keep going and turn around when it’s safe and convenient to do so. It’s an adventure and you’ll learn more routes.

If the sat nav is behind, just ignore it, loads of us learnt to drive before sat nav and if you missed the turn off you just carried on and found an alternative route or went back.

I generally navigate by looking at a map, if I get lost I stop and look at a map. If I’m on the motorway and lost I follow signs to places I’ve heard of/know where they are and re-route from there. (I did miss the m1 around Nottingham once and found myself at Stoke before I found the m6. I knew where the M6 was in relation to home, so all good).