New drivers experience various forms of fear when they start driving. Fear of driving in new territories, accidents, mechanical breakdowns, harassment on the road, amongst other fears, can prevent one from joining a driving school.
Most teenagers look forward to their first driving experience, but that does not mean they do not fear. What if the fear of driving exceeds the excitement of driving alone? The fear of driving is common even among adults, so it should not be a cause to worry. Fortunately, new drivers eventually overcome the fear, and so can your teenage.
As a parent, you have a role in encouraging your child to overcome the fear of driving. Here is how you can help him:
- There is a reason why your teen is afraid to drive, so try to understand their reasoning. Let your child know that their fears are normal but encourage them to work towards overcoming them.
- Remind your teen that attending a driving school while they are still young is an excellent idea. Explain to them how life can be busy after college, so they should take advantage of their pre-college time and learn to drive.
- Your teenage may have had a bad experience with their driving instructor, so they associate driving with bad experiences. How about you get a driving instructor that your child feels confident about being around to change the perception? Affirmations will boost your teens confidence and help them overcome their anxiety. If the fear does not go away, consider reaching out to a medical professional to talk to your child. Your teen may be having an anxiety disorder and not just the fear of driving. The professional will get to the root of the fear and find ways of helping your teenager to overcome it.
- Consider deliberate ways that your teen can take to adapt to driving. If they fear driving during peak hours, encourage them to drive during off-peak. You can help them identify roads that are not busy where they can practice driving.
- Please make time to support your child in his driving. You can drive around the estate when the road is not busy or allow your teen to park your car when you get home.
- Please consult your teen when making decisions about his driving. Where does he feel confident while driving? Which driving school does he want to attend? When you consult your child, they own the idea.
Accepting that you are fearful gives you the courage to face the fear. Encourage your teen to write everything they fear about driving. The best starting point is to start with the latest instance where they feared while driving. What caused the fear?
Please talk about the teen’s fear and help them come up with ways to navigate the fear. Affirm your child. Take note of positive strides towards overcoming their fear. Your teenager will never experience freedom while driving until they accept and face their fear.
As parents, your teenager counts on you to affirm and understand him. If your child does not feel like you trust his ability to drive a car, he will not trust anyone’s word. In some cases, the teenager might attempt crazy things to prove a point to you if you have no confidence in him. So, be there for your child and take deliberate steps to show support.