Hey, I got a friend who has a fear of driving?

Question

My friend that i have known for years just told me he has a fear of driving. He is 21 now and he never has drove a car. He wants advice from me, and he wants to know what i think. I mean it doesnt matter to me because it is not a big deal to me but i thought it could hurt in the long run. I mean he needs it so he wont have to depend on other people right. I need advice so i know what to tell him. Please help.

Answer 1

It's called driving phobia and I know it might sound silly but he needs to talk to a therapist about it. Did he ever have an accident or a bad experience in a car or on the road? There usually is a reason behind it. Good Luck

Answer 2

I am 19 years old and I also have a fear of driving. And yes it is true that this can mean dependence on others, for example whenever there's a hollyday, and the damn buses stop running early, I have to ask someone for a ride (or sometimes I call a taxi). But I don't have the guts to drive a car. I depend on the bus for transportation, and the worst part is that I live in LA.
I cannot advice you on this. Driving is my problem too.

Answer 3

My friend used to be scared of driving too and always told me she would never do it. But then she moved to Long Island and pretty much had to learn. Once she started learning and got the hang of it, she was fine and got over her fear. Tell your friend that it's understandable to worry about the dangers that come along with driving, but it's a skill every adult should have, if only out of necessity. Hell, for all he knows, him knowing how to drive could potentially save a life one day or get him out of a jam. What if he's driving along in a car with a friend and they get injured or something and need him to take over? You never know what kind of situations you'll find yourself in. Plus, driving can be fun! What seems scary in the passenger seat doesn't seem so bad when you're in the driver's seat and are in control.

Tell him he should at least give it a shot. Take a few driving lessons and see how he feels. He'll probably find it's not as bad as he thinks. And it if is just an irrational phobia, maybe he should seek help for that. Those kinds of fears only hold you back.

Answer 4

I think he is suffering from anxiety, tell him that it is ok to feel anxiety or fear while driving some people jsut feel that way and that the only thing he can do to overcome his fear is do it despite the fear.
Eventually he will loose the fear because he will become more confident.
Tell him not to give importance to all the symptoms he gets when he has fear (like sweating, shaking, stomach aches, whatever he feels)
The worst thing he can do is never to drive,
remember that courage is not the absence of fear, but doing things despite the fear :) :) :)

Answer 5

He can start driving in small neighborhoods where traffic isn't heavy, and he can be familiar with the basics of driving. Watching someone else drive isn't the same as being behind the wheel himself. He'll know what to expect.

If he has someone who doesn't mind being in the car with him on smaller streets with traffic lights and in the hours of less traffic, he can start try driving there too. He'll be of less harm to himself and others. It can make him feel more confident about driving.

Driving can be intimidating, but he can break his fear. He can do it that way or learn it the hard way: relying on other transportation or having to be forced to drive in times of emergencies....

Answer 6

He needs to drive to be able to function independently! My mom didn`t drive until she was in her 30s. It made my life really difficult when I was a child. I couldn`t be involved in any extra activities unless it was within the hours my dad was home. Not to mention, imagine your self esteem ? I wonder how he feels about relying on others to drive him around. Maybe he`s learning disabled and he thinks he will never drive because he can`t. Believe it or not many learning disabled individuals can`t or don`t feel confident about driving. As a friend, you should explain that he can get his Learner`s Permit and take his time in getting his full permit.

Answer 7

I have a fear of drivng im 19 and never drove but i know here pretty soon i got to get over it!
tell your friend that in life it makes it alot easier to get around and go were you want if you know how to drive.then you should take him to a safe location and teach him how to drive

Answer 8

Tell him to try a little bit at a time. First w/ someone, then w/out someone. Little steps, as they say. Could see a doc also if it would help for counseling.