Do you think that anyone can learn to drive?

[pinkbonbons]

This is not meant to be goady!

I had driving lessons when I was 22 but stopped as I was crying in every lesson despite doing fine. I have quite bad anxiety about reversing; I would always panic and I couldn’t concentrate properly on doing it. I did have 50-60 hours of lessons but my anxiety didn’t get better so my instructor suggested a break because of my anxiety and I didn’t go back. That was nearly 6 years ago and I still can’t drive. Medical reasons permitting, do you think that any adult can be a competent driver? Even when I’m in the car with my DH, I think to myself ‘oh I’d crash if I did that turn he just did’ and I do find the general Road rules confusing, with how people know who gets right of way etc. But I also want to be able to do it. But I’m so scared.

I have passed my test but still get incredible anxiety driving. I think due to the vast number of situations that can come up (tractors, bikes, horses, impatient drivers). Roads in my area are very tight spaces and there always seem to be cars parked in awkward places or narrow country lanes meaning you’re constantly pulling in and judging how much space there is to get past. I feel like I can’t relax at all.

My mother tried several times to learn to drive but she doesn't do well with making pressured decisions very quickly.

She's now wheelchair-bound and still has a tendency to close her eyes when she's in her powered chair and has to make a tricky manoeuvre. I'm rather glad she never passed her test.

I did an intensive course. I wouldn't recommend it as although I passed I came out of it a rubbish driver and couldn't judge the size of the car properly. Weirdly I found riding a motorbike much easier so I did five years on a bike and only went back to having a car once I had children.

I passed my test at 18. I’m now 53 and can’t drive due to nerves, it used to only be based around reversing but I just don’t have the confidence to get back behind the wheel. My dad took me out a couple of times but I was a nervous wreck 😰

I think some people need to just accept that they really, really shouldn't be behind the wheel of a car, whether they've passed their test or not.

If trying to drive reduces you to tears and you (rightly) have zero confidence in your ability to control a car properly, then please, please do not drive. Because even if you could somehow pass your test, I wouldn't trust you to handle any type of emergency situation in a car. If you can only drive a car within very limited parameters e.g. can only drive one particular car, can only drive certain routes, can't drive at night, can only drive wearing certain shoes etc then you have no business driving at all.

MIL was a dreadful, anxious driver who could only drive on a few certain roads and refused, point blank, to reverse. She once got caught on a diversion so simply abandoned the car and walked home because she didn't 'know' the road.

Do this in an automatic.