Probably everyone likes traveling. However, the form of these trips can differ significantly. The most common type of holiday is the usual trips abroad, where the main task is not to be late for the plane and the rest will be done for you. People, who are afraid of driving, choose this type of the holiday most often. Let us take a closer look at this fear. Maybe this article will help you to overcome your fears and you will choose independent trips more often.

Many people absolutely dislike traveling in the car. There are a lot of doubts:

  • not high safety on the highway;
  • inconvenience of sleeping in a car;
  • probable breakdowns;
  • hygiene;

Moreover, fear of driving becomes a problem when it prevents you from driving. Some people may have a slightly different form of cars’ fear, known as amaxophobia. This is the fear of being in a car, regardless of where the person is sitting: in the driver’s or a passenger seat. Such fear makes the driving process almost impossible. However, now we are talking precisely about the motorist’s fear of driving his or her car.

 

Reasons for fear of driving a car:

  1. Anxious and suspicious nature

If you worry about everything, fear does not allow you to objectively assess the situation on the road. In order to deal with this, stop the car and ask yourself “What exactly am I afraid of?” When you do not find solid reason for concern, the fear will go away.

  1. Experienced traffic accident

Fear of driving develops in a person who was either a participant in an accident or a witness. For some, the cause of fear is a fatal accident. For others – an accident that entailed severe injuries. In such cases, the constant thinking about the situation develops panic fear. The driver is afraid not so much of the driving process as of the likelihood of knocking down a pedestrian, damaging the car or causing harm to his or her passengers.

  1. Inexperience

Novice drivers often experience fear of driving. Lack of experience and self-doubt make such a person to be afraid not only of other drivers, but also of maneuvers, such as:

  • overtaking;
  • rearrangement from row to row;
  • left turns;
  • non-standard situations.

 

  1. Fear of malfunctions

It appears in two cases: you have already had a failure of some car systems – brakes, steering, etc., or when a vigorous imagination feeds fear and you believe stories and rumors about sudden malfunctions of a car.

 

Ways to relax to overcome fear of driving

To cope with anxiety, various configuration of relaxation techniques are required. For example, if your fear of driving is relatively mild, then the right mood may be enough before you drive. Here are some examples of how to cope with the fear:

  1. Create a stress-free environment

Anyone, who is each time afraid to get to the driver’s seat, knows what it’s like to overcome yourself. The main thing is the mood. That is, before you get into the car, you must begin to think in a proper way, setting yourself up only for positive.

  1. Comfort yourself

Do not forget that each of us is very complex creature. This way, even the most persistent and balanced people can have breakdowns. Therefore, each of us must learn to relax and rest. You are able not only to relieve the accumulated stress, but also to forget about the fear of driving. Moreover, breathing exercises could help you to become calmer.

  1. Mantras

Use phrases that give you positive mood. You can also compose special mantras to calm yourself in the car. Some people think that such phrases are unlikely to help while driving. Nevertheless, many of these clichés really work if you believe in the positive result and you seek after it.

All of these simple relaxation techniques work great against fear of driving, as they make you less nervous at the car. All in all, try to be self-collected, as driving shows you a new world. You can travel down your homeland, or any other country, using car rental USA under 21 and watch the most breathtaking spots.