To decline a job offer because I am scared of driving?

Why are you afraid of driving? I had a terrible phobia of flying (had a dreadful experience in a plane) and avoided flying for years. Anyway after listening to a scientist on a Podcast I tried hypnotherapy for the phobia. Been on a plane a few times since. It's a really interesting experience and there is some science behind it.

I don't drive in this country, walk to work and love my job. I know if my circumstances change, I'd be in a real pickle. Don't let the fear limit you!

Why wait for autumn?! The moment may pass. If you book now they may well not have availability until autumn anyway

The selection process was in “final stages” and then they arbitrarily pull it and say everything “on hold”?

Not a good sign op. I wouldn’t consider the company

Did you get the job op? What did you decide @Kittenmumma ?

Lucky you not being worried about driving. Lots of people are. It is quite a scary thing to do, if you think about it logically - you're in charge of a big piece of machinery and there are lots of idiots around you. Of course we all just jump in our cars every day and don't think about it, but if you're anxious it can be terrifying. I feel many people should take it more seriously.

No it isn't stressful!

The first time you drive somewhere it’s stressful because you don’t know the landmarks, the turnings - 20th time you do it it’ll be easy -after you’ve been there a month

So take some lessons, stop being so passive?

If you have a job currently that is as secure as any job can be, then stay put.

Even if you were a confident driver, swapping a train journey for a car one at peak times and given the possibility of it being longer than expected is something not to take likely. Between October and March the homeward bound one is likely to be in the dark as well, something to consider.

That's a huge amount of driving, if you don't like it. I think it's fair enough to not choose a job with that much driving if you don't like it.

I like driving. I can listen to podcasts and chill out. I know other people who just hate it. That's ok too.

This wouldn't be the reason not to accept the job but I would wait and see whether you are offered the job first. If so, get some driving lesson booked during your notice period. Get the instructor to show you and talk you through the tricky bits where you live while you drive and book a two hour slot to drive to your work and back with the instructor. You can use Google maps street view to "drive" the route beforehand and see which lanes you need to be in.
The first few times of driving yourself your heart might be in your throat but this won't last. Give yourself plenty of time in the first week. Your confidence will only grow by doing it.

Is is a hybrid wkh job by the sounds of it? Perhaps you could take it, and then build up to driving in over time, but use public transport first?
You might find driving an automatic is easier and gets you back on the road quicker with more confidence.

I'm a nervous driver but I'm ok once I know a route. The only things I really avoid are merging onto a busy motorway and very big roundabouts. Could you try driving it as a passenger and now down any tricky bits, then use Google maps to go over them?

It sounds like this could be really good for you. Do bear in mind though, that 50 minutes driving is a lot harder brain work than a similar commute on the train.

I don't like driving but am ok on routes I know. After the first week or two you will know te route well which should make it easier. As others have said I would probably go out and have practice beforehand.

I think whether you should take the job or not is dependent on how bad your aversion to driving is.

I have experienced exactly this except I had no choice as work required me to do training for two months and there was no other way to get there. So although I did drive to my workplace, it was only 10mins away and v easy to get to even for a learner. The training venue however was a few towns away and looked v scary to someone like me.

I tackled it by my making some handwritten notes/drawings using online directions to understand how long/complex it actually was so I understood the ‘theory’ of it which made it less intimidating. Then I got a family member to drive there and back allowing me as the passenger to follow along with my own notes. Anything I didn’t understand, my much more experienced and confident driver explained to me. Because I was the passenger I could really take everything in about the journey and also scribbled down notes about any landmarks or any iffy things to look out such as a fast lane changed needed at x perhaps because the lead up to an exit you must be in is very short.

I then on a different day, got that same driver to sit in with me whilst I did my ‘dummy run’ and pretty much never made a mistake or had any issues. In fact, there was one time, the better driver took me up to Bristol which is v v far from my home town and made errors on the way back but when it was my turn to do it alone (I couldn’t ask him to sit in as it was a v long 3hr round trip) I was a bag of nerves (had diarrhoea even because of it that morning 🤦🏻‍♀️), but I made it there and back through all types roads including the motorway (argh!) and Bristol city centre itself and back home again without a single wrong turn. I was so proud of myself. And yes people might think me a weirdo for the amount of prep I do first rather than just jumping in and switching on sat nav like a free spirit lol but it worked every single time for me. And I really don’t like driving and even my family had no faith in me at all and wouldn’t even after I passed my test accompany me on the motorway for my first ever time - which really knocked my confidence more so! But instead I hired a motorway instructor and found I actually quite enjoyed it lol. Since then my proudest achievement was driving a few times from West Mids to Barnet, London and back again and I should say all these times I was always alone and because of distance there were usually no dummy runs just all 5’ nothing of me alone!

Anyway, I hope my anecdote has provided perhaps a little inspiration/ideas! Good luck!

If it’s an Amazing job please push yourself as you’ll only regret it.

my dd has a summer job related to uni and has never driven on the motorway until 6 weeks ago. She’s now been all over Scotland on the motorway and it’s built her confidence so much, she just needed something to push her and this has been it.
don’t give up an opportunity to have your dream job just because you are scared of driving. The only way to increase that confidence is to get out and drive.

The end goal is that you get a job you are happy with. If the price is that you need to force yourself to conquer your fears of driving, that will be a huge boost to your confidence overall. Practice the route as much as possible, it will soon become second nature.

Don't apply.

Speaking from experience; I took a job that ended up requiring me to travel a lot and the stress was unbelievable. I ended up leaving the job because I was worried I would have a nervous breakdown.

Everyone is different. And you know you. But this was my experience and had I known the job would require so much travelling I never would have taken it

I think you should apply. Without the pressure of needing to get over this, you'll put off conquering your fear.