Starting driving again - help!!

[sillypenguin]

In the most basic terms, I'm terrified of driving but I spent a lot of money in the past on lessons, so for that reason im restarting them again today so I can get to my test. Just so you know, I've already had a driving test and failed it but that was quite a while ago now...

I have the knowledge, it's not that I don't know what I'm doing, I'm just terrified and my mind goes blank once I'm in the damn car also I hate most drivers on the road as the drive like idiots and that terrifies more. I know that sounds unfair to other drivers but yeah Ive had bad experiences with them and this has became my (probably unjustified) opinion of them. I know I can't change that but I need to somehow get over it.

I just don't want to mess up, again.... Any advice would be most grateful before I take a breakdown

[Mr. Nobody]

what I learned is that if you simply follow the highway code and stick to a few simple driving rules then you really can't go wrong,...
I had a good instructor and he reinforced this fact in me to help me get through driving,.
the fact is, if you have mastered the simple control of your car and drive it as per the highway code then technically, nothing can touch you, nothing can go wrong from your side,.
this helped me a lot and helped me pass,.. it's simply a mindset for instilling confidence and reassurance in your driving experience,.

you need to forget about other drivers and simply concentrate on your own driving and making sure you're following the rules,.

and let's face it,. the rules of driving are pretty simple and straightforward,

you seem to be focusing too much on whether other drivers are trustworthy enough to drive properly,
but that could be a never-ending cycle of "what if",. "what if"...

driving can be very simple and very relaxing,. and it opens up a lot of new opportunities and a bit of personal freedom,..

your driving instructor should help allay your fears and help you concentrate on what's important and stick with your own driving,

just try to stick to the highway code and you can't go wrong really, as on the road everyone should legally be abiding by this same set of rules, and if someone else decides to break those laws and rules then you're still protected by being in the right.
it's more a form of psychological protection and insulation to enable you to gain confidence and ease pressure.

[Frog]

I was an incredibly nervous driver, I would always make excuses to try and put off my lessons, I never felt relaxed, I never once looked forward to a lesson, I hated the entire process. Even now I've passed I'm not a very confident driver which I need to work on fixing.

Now for the bit that might help - roughly 2 weeks before my driving test I listened to some
Hypnotherapy driving videos on YouTube before I went to bed (generally in following the instructions I'd end up falling asleep) butttt I actually managed to get a decent night of sleep before my test and felt far calmer on the day than I usually would (the slightest issue can keep me awake at night and I'm by nature a very nervous person) so this was a pretty big deal.

[Hayman]

I've been driving since 2002. In that time, I've learnt that most people in the roads don't follow basic rules and there are situations where I feel as though it's 'every man for himself'. Particularly in busy town or city centres that I'd rather avoid if I can.

The best way to build confidence as a nervous driver is to drive quite 'defensively'. For instance, approach junctions more slowly, keep slightly below the speed limit in clear conditions e.t.c…

Situations that usually stress me out are people cutting in front of me on short sections of dual carriageway where the second/overtaking lane closes. Rather than slot in behind me, they'd rather push past, just to gain that extra 10 feet or so and force me to brake… Within a mile of my house, there’s two sections like this where the road widens to two lanes for a set of traffic lights, only to disappear back to one lane again about 50yds beyond the lights… I actually take a detour around this that adds half a mile - purely to avoid these two sets of lights.

I also don't like large, multi-lane roundabouts (three plus) because few drivers seem to know what lane to be in and to be fair, some road signs can be conflicting and confusing. Especially if you're not familiar with the immediate area. I do find myself 'grinning and bearing' those situations and I will be facing at least one such roundabout I absolutely loathe towards the end of this month when I have to drive down south. Sadly, there’s no easy way to bypass this.

As motoring and UK travel is very much my 'main' hobby, driving come naturally to me as I had that interest from a very early age. I'm confident I can anticipate certain situations before they occur and have avoided a couple of accidents by braking or swerving earlier than someone who couldn't 'read' what was going on ahead (for whatever reason – I mean no offence at all by that. There's situations I know I've read incorrectly).

I'm by no means a perfect driver. I make mistakes. We all do. We're all 'advanced learners' after we pass our tests. I learnt that saying from my old instructor!