Just be confident, man.

And take solace in the fact that 50% of drivers are even worse than you. Old people, people with bad eyesight, people who multitask terribly, etc...

>>17118496
True, I'm probably over thinking this, my only other thing would be the highway which I only did once but thankfully I don't see a scenario in which I would have to, only rode it once with my driving instructor

Fuck yeah, I've been waiting for a thread like this since forever. I'm a driving instructor who's had experience working with licensed drivers who need that confidence boost to get back out there again.

Have confidence in the fact that at one point in your life you were able to pass that driving test which may have been quite daunting at the time.

First of all, the fact that you have the inclination to drive again is a great sign. You have acknowledged you have an issue and are actively taking steps to address it.

You honestly seem to be on track with it by slowly immersing yourself into quiet conditions and focusing on the basics. Eventually you will have built up your skills considerably so that you will be able to depend on your ability to control the car, and respond to changing traffic conditions accordingly.

Trust in your ability to drive the car well, so that once you're in a heavy traffic environment you will be able to handle the pressures of driving amongst other road users.

Keep slowly building up the intensity in terms of traffic and reflect on what you're doing well, and what you can improve on. Eventually this will be second nature for you to handle the rigours of heavy traffic and you will take pride in your ability to drive well in all conditions.

I'd also recommend working with a friend or family member who's an experienced driver and getting yourself into difficult situations where they can provide guidance if needed. That way you can increase the tempo of your driving. Also, adopt an assertive mentality on the roads where you embody confidence and knowing your rights, and also responsibilities on the road. Acting beforehand instead of reacting to your environment too.

What bothers you most about traffic?

>>17118547

Just because you see plenty of examples of shit cunt drivers doesn't mean that's the norm by any means. Aspire for more and to be independent and competent enough where you can handle a highway environment with ease.

What bothers you about highways? The merging or the high speeds and heavy vehicles like trucks?

>>17118473

You fucking cuck. Give me an answer.

>>17118566
Op here, sorry for the late reply, thanks for the advice, traffic itself doesn't bother me but it's certainly conditions like rush hour that bother me, i never had to deal with it rarely but since it's rushour the traffic is busy and more aggressive which intimidates me but in the morning the traffic is calmer which I like

>>17118583
Op here also responding to you, With highways, the cars are all going at faster speeds and the fact that I would also share the road with eighteen wheelers and Im affraid if getting into accidents with them since they are bigger, again sorry for the late reply was really busy today

>>17118496
>>17118566
>>17118583
>>17119721
Don't know if you guys are still lurking but thank you for the tips and the reassurance, I really appreciate it, had lots of crap to do so that's why I'm replying to you guys now, but I feel a lot more confident about driving again, probably just need to keep driving and it'll probably come back to me

>>17119871
>>17119878
>>17119897

Instructorfag here. No need to apologise matey - you're on 4chan the scumhive bowels of the internet after all.

Seems like it's more the pressure of handling stressful situations which get to you more. Only way to get through that is to do the thing you're afraid to do. Work up to driving in stressful conditions til you're able to handle it. It's never going to be easy, peak hour traffic sucks for everyone. Build up your assertiveness which should be grounded in your confidence in controlling the car, plus your knowledge of road rules and driving dynamics.

Maybe plan your afternoon peak hour drive in stages where you may stay back at work a bit or leave earlier depending on what you can get away with. That way you can miss the worst of the traffic.
Even break it down into smaller trips where you can take a break by going to the gym, go for a walk at a nice Park, or taking some kind of hobby class on your way home. Even stop by the shops for a bit. That way your journey home is less daunting and is broken down into smaller steps.

How do you handle stress in everyday life with work, relationship, personal issues?
I ask because I find that people's driving is an extension of their personalities to an extent. Nervous people, nervous drivers. Angry people, aggressive drivers. Chill people, calm drivers.

>>17119878

What country are you from anon?

I'm an ausfag. Generally our highway situations are pretty hectic at times too.

Merging from the on-ramps tends to fuck with most people as it's high speed and you need to come into the closest lane at high speed, and avoid anyone else who may be in there.

Essentially it relies on merging like a zipper formation - the car in front takes the lead, the car behind yields and holds back.

Driving is a negotiation, just like many things in life. If you're coming down the ramp preparing to merge you need to make sure you're good for it. Have your speed high enough at a relative speed to the vehicles on the highway so that you don't disrupt the flow of traffic behind you. Be mindful of vehicles that are in front so you don't hit them from behind too. Ultimately you have to merge into your closest lane though when safe so you need to make sure that you do so safely; try this first during quiet conditions so it's easier and build from there. Hope those tips helped anon.

As for trucks be mindful of them and their greater size and weight. Treat them with respect and don't do silly things like cut them off or brake suddenly in front of them as they need a lot of space to stop. Trust that they're generally professional and experienced drivers and will drive their trucks safely. Always try to stay out of their blindspot too as it can be hard for them to see you when they are merging or diverging, changing lanes etc.
It'd be similar to a go-cart hanging around your blindspot when you're driving a car - they'd be below your field of vision and in your blindspot.
Trucks can be a pain in the ass but are a necessary burden on the road as we need their services. Pretty much be alert and drive safely according to the law around them, and they will do similar for you.

>>17120515
I do notice that I'm a little anxious when it comes to most things, I can handle stress but to a certain extent, if there is a lot going on, then I do get frustrated, but I see what you're saying, I think the main problem is that I'm not assertive enough due to low self confidence, now that you mention this I did have a expierience where I was driving with my father to practice after I got my permit and I was at a four way intersection, so I was behind two cars waiting for them to go and when they went I turned on my left signal light and didn't wait for the cars coming in my direction to go so I went and my dad saw a car speeding towards us as we made the turn and scared the crap out of him and luckily we didn't get hit but he got pissed understandably. I don't know if that had anything to do with it because I do have that fear of getting into a accident though everyone does anyway
>>17120592
I'm a Ameriburger

Nice thread. I live in a city (college, grad school, job) and I've been here for 8 years.

Just got a new job in the countryside. Will need to buy a car. Haven't driven regularly since I was 17.

I'm excited but nervous - nice to know there are others like me.

>>17120635
>I'm excited but nervous - nice to know there are others like me.
Yeah glad I'm not the only one, I thought if I got my license and pass the test then I would always retain everything kinda like knowing how to eat

In my experience this goes away after driving around a lot, basically you feel this way because you're actively thinking about driving, every wheel turn or clutch switch (if ur that guy), signal, cars around you, noises, speed. There's a lot you're trying to do.

After you drive for a long time all of that becomes muscle memory and it's a lot easier, I used to be terrified to drive, really just fucking scared I was going to crash into something, or someone was going to crash into me, my vehicle felt huge and hard to operate, reversing felt like I was going to kill people 100%

Now I commute to work and often forget the entire drive because I'm on auto pilot

TL;DR: it goes away

>>17121685
>asically you feel this way because you're actively thinking about driving, every wheel turn or clutch switch (if ur that guy), signal, cars around you, noises, speed
Op, here, yep that's exactly what's going through my head currently when I drive

>>17121716
do reverse doughnuts in a closed parking lot. do some whacky shit with your car in a safe place so you know how it handles and what you have to do to make it do extreme (ok just unusual) things. I think most people who drive have experienced what you are going through.

If you have the money to do it, go take a performance driving course at somewhere like Skip Barber or Bondurant, or even one of those introductory autocross thingies. You'll get back on the road knowing that you're a better driver than 99.9999% of the people around you.

>>17121838
I actually know a parking lot I could try, I'll have to go there on the weekend