I didnt learn to drive until I was 27.
It made for an eventful trip to the recycling plant.
I moved to Chicago for college and easily made it through another decade as a non-driver.
Then I took a work trip to Minnesota, where -20 winds howled at the windows of my Econolodge.
I signed up for driving lessons as soon as I got home.
Your situation might be different, but many adult drivers share common struggles.
I know because Ive had all of them.
So hop in, late bloomerwere going driving.
Decide that you want to learn how to drive
Not everyone needs to know how to drive.
In 60 or 70 years.
Sorry, thats morbid.
But for many others, the reasons go beyond a feeling.
Also, I deal with persistent health issues and owning a motor vehicle helps with that.
Im an only child and my parents dont have many friends or other family in the area.
I knew that the only real solution was to finally learn.
), makes a new place less scary, and gets you where you better go whatever that means.
Take that, teens!
That brings us to the next step: studying for the permit test.
Do it, it will make a difference.
There should be a study guide, drivers manual, or similar resource available on the local DMVs website.
However, there are many benefits to driving lessons.
Check your local government website, or cut to the chase and call.
Almost every adult driver I talked to sang the praises of driving school.
Learning from a neutral third-party can make a big difference.
Committing to lessons youve paid for increases the chance that youll follow through.
Driving instructors have seen everything.
You are not the worst driver theyve taught.
Driving school is different than the behind-the-wheel classes you might have taken in high school.
You dont have to sit in an overwarm classroom and watchDeath on the Highway.
It should be said that not everyone interviewed learned through a driving school.
Others who went the non-school route echoed similar sentiments: work with someone patient, calm, and encouraging.
Its very important that the eyes are always moving while youre driving a car.
I still cant believe that was my first lesson.
or overconfident (Ive got this.).
Thats what causes accidents.
If your eyes are doing what theyre supposed to do…thats your basic insurance.
If it’s crucial that you do any of that, pull over.
It was a warm-up.
There are people wandering, lost on the grassy patch between the store and their vehicle.
There are spandex-wrapped dudes on bikes, whizzing around with no regard for other vehicles or humans.
There are random shopping carts.
But unlike those gummi fish, sometimes you have to jump into the deep end and swim.
Or scream into the steering wheel, give up, and park on the street.
Either way, it made for a good training ground.
And as my friend taking me out to practice pointed out, Everyones already dead.
Fun bonus: You might run into a group of people attending an actual funeral.
Dont frantically reverse, hit something that sounds a lot like a gravestone, and frantically reverse again.
It wasnt a gravestone.
It was a path marker.
But still - stay calm, even if youre trying not to ruin a sacred ceremony.
- Can you give me a description of the course/flow of treatment?
How often do we meet?
- How would or should I determine if this treatment is working for my needs?
: How will I know this is working?
- What or how can you provide additional support?
Would you be willing to drive with me and observe?
Should I join a group or participate in a program that specifically targets this anxiety or fear?
Anxiety isnt binary when it is not present that doesnt mean All clear!
Everything is safe and nothing bad will ever happen again ever, he says.
The presence of anxiety doesnt mean, Everything is bad and will definitely go wrong.
It takes about 20 minutes, and it is not uncommon to fail your first time around.
Good news: you could take the test as many times as it takes to pass.
If you fail, you might need to wait before you take it again.
What Im trying to tell you is, its going to be okay.
