Just like every other fifteen-year-old, I was looking forward to learning how to drive and getting my own car! The idea of it sounded exciting to me. Driving on the open road with the windows down with a light breeze blazing in was what I imagined it to be. However, I would soon find out that driving can be the opposite of calming. Sometimes it is stressful!

I started practicing a few months after I turned fifteen, and let’s just say it was pretty rough. I felt very uneasy behind the wheel, but my parents assured me I was doing well! After that, I slowly but surely started to gain confidence. But unfortunately, that confidence would soon be snatched away like a flat-screen TV on Black Friday after witnessing multiple car accidents. The last straw was when my twin sister, mom, and I got into a car accident in the middle of a busy intersection after we helped move my older sister to Fort Worth for PA school. It was an absolute nightmare, and from that day on, I never wanted to drive again.

I decided to rely on my twin to drive me places and be my personal chauffeur. It was great the first few months! But, it wouldn’t be long until the guilt began to sink in. I knew she was tired of driving sometimes, and I felt terrible that I was contributing to the stress and tiredness she was feeling. However, the best decision I ever made was to wait until I was ready to get behind the wheel. That stigma and pressure to get my license at sixteen was out the window. I didn’t care anymore. I was going to get in the car and drive when I was ready!

I needed to be pushed to conquer my anxiety. That push would come soon after my eighteenth birthday, when my learner’s permit was about to expire. So I renewed it, and the best advice I received was from a super kind woman I met at the DMV. I explained to her why I was renewing it, and she completely understood. She said, “Don’t ever feel pressured, get your license when you feel comfortable.” She continued, “My son had driving anxiety too and didn’t get his license until he was twenty-one!” I smiled and felt the comfort I was longing for. Finally, someone could understand the emotions I was feeling! That woman motivated me to get in the car and slowly conquer my fear.

Many months went by, and I wasn’t practicing at all because I was so busy getting my college applications in at the time. No progress was made until my mom pushed me to go to a driving school and take lessons. I started taking lessons in March of this year, and it was another step in the right direction. I got a driving instructor who dealt with kids who have driving anxiety. He calmed me down and helped me slowly overcome each hurdle. I mastered new skills week by week, and it wouldn’t be long until I took the road test and passed!

Although the crippling anxiety and nerves I felt in the beginning still pop in from time to time. I have come so far and have overcome a fear I thought I could never get past. I surrounded myself with people who were a positive influence in my journey, and they are the reason I have my driver’s license today.
Now, I know you are wondering, “How can I overcome my driving anxiety?” Let me tell you, the anxiety will always be there, but there are ways to get around it. Here are some tips that helped me overcome my fear:

-Take your time and start the process when you feel ready.
-Be positive!
-Practice every day and get comfortable with your car’s controls.
-Push yourself to conquer new obstacles every week.
-Eliminate avoidance.
-Drive in the mornings or when the roads are clear.
-Have someone in the car with you who will be a positive influence.
-Relax and just drive. Don’t overthink it!