I was terrified as well, when I first moved here. It was only after watching DH drive, becoming more familiar with the map, and most importantly, getting a large GPS, that I felt comfortable navigating the on and off-ramps and the Beltway.

Still a little leery about Virginia, because my GPS can't keep up with the construction and I've missed exits a few times...

When I was a teenager I worked at a restaurant. One afternoon, as I was getting ready to set the tables for dinner, I looked at a pile of forks and was suddenly horrified!

They were terrible, scary, stabby-looking things! All of them! Just waiting to stab me or someone! It was awful.

I avoided forks all afternoon. Then customers came and I was busy and forgot about it.

Never had a recurrence of that. Although one time this girl I knew got so angry she stabbed herself in the leg with a fork once.
On purpose.
Just to show she wasn't f**king around.

Point of this story: maybe tomorrow the OP won't be so nervous about freeway driving.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would look into a driving school that is very patient & has a lot of experience dealing w/an anxious driver.

Once you begin driving on freeways - it will just get easier.
Less nerve-wracking for sure.

Unless of course you will be driving on one in CA.

As a CA native, I’ll say that freeway driving in the DMV and Northeast generally is significantly worse. Much more aggression. Much more weaving. Much narrower roads (on average).

No way.

I work in SoCal a few months a year, and their freeway manners are insane. The biggest thing I notice is out there, everyone is either accelerating, or panic-breaking. There simply is no “cruising” along at-speed. CA drivers either have the gas pedal all the way on the floor, or are standing on the brake pedal. There is no just cruising along at 70.

Tailgating is probably worse out there, too.

And God help you if it rains.

I used to have to commute on the 405. Horrid.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would look into a driving school that is very patient & has a lot of experience dealing w/an anxious driver.

Once you begin driving on freeways - it will just get easier.
Less nerve-wracking for sure.

Unless of course you will be driving on one in CA.

As a CA native, I’ll say that freeway driving in the DMV and Northeast generally is significantly worse. Much more aggression. Much more weaving. Much narrower roads (on average).

No way.

I work in SoCal a few months a year, and their freeway manners are insane. The biggest thing I notice is out there, everyone is either accelerating, or panic-breaking. There simply is no “cruising” along at-speed. CA drivers either have the gas pedal all the way on the floor, or are standing on the brake pedal. There is no just cruising along at 70.

Tailgating is probably worse out there, too.

And God help you if it rains.

Anonymous wrote:The risk is still fairly low, but it is one of the riskiest things we do in our lives. Minimizing highway driving (or driving in general) is a good idea. So if you have an opportunity to live closer to where you work, that's a smart move.

+1

I actually prefer to drive since that means I’m in control, but being on the road around here is anxiety-inducing. Too many aggressive drivers and texters, so I all I can do is recommend leading as car-free existence as possible.

Get some help now! Not driving hasn't ruined my life but it has held me back and kept me from jobs. Do this now before you get any older

Your boyfriend can drive

I went through this several years ago and did ten sessions with a therapist specialized in phobias. We didn’t even get in the car together, but the breathing exercises and practice visualizing routes etc helped tremendously and I was able to start doing my part shuttling my daughter around. I still don’t like highways and try to avoid them, but the fear and cold sweats about getting behind the wheel are gone.

Anonymous wrote:The risk is still fairly low, but it is one of the riskiest things we do in our lives. Minimizing highway driving (or driving in general) is a good idea. So if you have an opportunity to live closer to where you work, that's a smart move.

Most car crashes and deaths occur within a few miles of the driver's house, and on city streets not highways.

Highways have high speed, but fewer risk -- no pedestrians, no red lights, intersections, etc.

That's why the first self-driving trucks will be targeted towards highway -- it's much easier for a computer to figure that out.

Anonymous wrote:I would look into a driving school that is very patient & has a lot of experience dealing w/an anxious driver.

Once you begin driving on freeways - it will just get easier.
Less nerve-wracking for sure.

Unless of course you will be driving on one in CA.

As a CA native, I’ll say that freeway driving in the DMV and Northeast generally is significantly worse. Much more aggression. Much more weaving. Much narrower roads (on average).

I grew up in Southern California which requires driving on the freeway for everything. I am glad I got the driving experience that I did as a young driver and find driving here in the DMV so much easier because of this experience. I recommend practicing merging and driving on the freeway here at non-peak times until you feel comfortable navigating on and off during more peak times. On Saturday and Sunday, 6-8 am is generally pretty easy to drive. Or Sunday evenings.

The risk is still fairly low, but it is one of the riskiest things we do in our lives. Minimizing highway driving (or driving in general) is a good idea. So if you have an opportunity to live closer to where you work, that's a smart move.

I would look into a driving school that is very patient & has a lot of experience dealing w/an anxious driver.

Once you begin driving on freeways - it will just get easier.
Less nerve-wracking for sure.

Unless of course you will be driving on one in CA.

Maybe a psychiatrist for anti-anxiety medication. But not so much that you fall asleep at the wheel and crash.

I keep hearing about car crashes on the news, and it's terrifying.

Has anyone else experienced this? Does anyone have any suggestions?