omg, I am so scared!?

Question

omg, I am soo scared, I am 15 and I drive this school year! OMG, I am soo afriad of getting in a car crash and dying! it's my worst fear, everytime I am with my mom and she is driving I picture myself, and all those things to learn! is this weird to be that nervous?! I can't sleep at night because I am soo worried, has anybody else felt this way?! Please help!

Answer 1

Well no-not really since living in a small town i learn how to drive at a very young age lol. Don't be scared you'll get use to it. We all have done dumb things that could turn out bad, its just the role of the dice. So when you start driving just drive right and always look out for other people, unless you have a jacked up 4x4 diesel truck i would'nt worry about anything... j/k.

Answer 2

While it's possible for anything to happen, if you are a careful and DEFENSIVE driver, it's unlikely that you will be in a bad accident. If you are attentive, and don't assume that the OTHER driver is going to make the right moves, then you will go a long way to protecting yourself and your passengers. It's extremely important to remember, too, that today's cars are designed to shield the occupants very well; also remember that so many accidents occur because the driver is impaired, so being sober behind the wheel means that you have a much better chance of reacting in time to avert disaster.

I had a bad accident when I was 18 (the other driver ran a stop sign); my car was destroyed, but because I was wearing a seat belt, I'm here 34 years later to tell YOU about it. A seat belt is a MUST - don't ever let someone tell you it's not necessary, or not cool, or anything else stupid like that. I don't have statistics, but I would guess it has saved more lives (including mine!!) than any other single invention since people started driving. Just because you're in an accident doesn't automatically mean you die, or even get hurt very badly. Thanks to my seat belt, I walked away from a totaled car with only a bruise or two.

As to learning all those things - they will come with time; that's why they don't just hand you a driver's license and shoo you out the door. You will have a chance to practice before you get a license, and it's important that you do so. Be careful but confident behind the wheel, and you've gone a long way toward staying safe!

Answer 3

Yes, i felt the exact same way when I first started driving. My parents had to MAKE me drive at 19.

They told me that, if an accident is going to happen, it's just going to happen regardless of whether I am driving or not. You can't let a fear stop you from living.

As long as you practice safe driving, you are doing the best that you can do. Once you start driving for awhile, you will be comfortable and get over it.

Even now when I drive, I still feel scared that i'm going to get into an accident. You just have be attentive, calm and safe.

You can take a defensive driving class to make you feel better. It will be great on your insurance too.

Answer 4

Driving is probably the most dangerous thing any of us do, unless we go into the military or get a job like police & fighting fires. But while many people have accidents, many more people do not.

You need to take a look at statistics, and consult with family and auto insurance agent, to find out what the risks are in your geography (they are not the same world wide nation wide), and how to mitigate those risks.

Here are some relevant sites you could start with.

http://www-fars.nhtsa.dot.gov/

http://www.car-accidents.com/pages/stats.html

http://www.personal-injury.com/practice_areas/Auto_Accident_Statistics.asp

Factor in the population of USA ... 300 million?
and each year there are how many accidents ... 40 thousand ... do your long division ... what are the odds you will be one of them?

Now if the rate remains steady & you live to be age 100, what are the odds ... about 1 in 75 that you will ever be in an accident.

But the rate is not even odds.
There are intersections that are particularly dangerous.
There are people who do not learn how to drive properly.
You may have friends who ride with you saying things like
* go faster faster faster
* turn there, no there
* back up, I checked, you are clear

Does your mom know about your fears?
Can you get extra tutoring with learning driving?

See if you can get a class in "defensive driving"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defensive_driving
http://www.ehow.com/information_1003-driving-safety.html
http://www.defensivedriving.com/ddo/

This is kind of on the theory that it is not enoguh to learn how to do ordinary driving, but there's all kinds of hazards out there, and it is better if you are a highly skilled driver.
* Know major causes of accidents (cell phones, drunks, doing other things at same time as driving, driving too fast for conditions, not paying attention, ending up in blind spots of other vehicles) and avoid you doing any of these high risk things
* Is there a particular time of day that a lot of drunks get on the road (like after happy hour or after the bars close), and do you know when that is, so you can not be on the highways when they are out in mass
* What to check before starting the engine to maximize safety on the upcoming drive (e.g. walk around to make sure no kid playing on ground there, and there are no obstructions for you to drive into) (e.g. know how to check that all lights are working right)
* What can you do with your selection of vehicle so that other drivers will see it much further away than the average car (e.g. color)
* What can you do with auto selection so that in various adverse conditions less likely lose control (e.g. low center of gravity, four wheel drive, correct tire pressure)
* What can you do with auto selection so that in the event of an accident, damage to you much less than average (e.g. crumple zones, air bags, learn first aid)
* Ordinary drivers can tell if the car in front is about to do something when they signal, like using brake lites ... but is there any clue before that
* When there are a lot of maniacs driving too fast, following too close, how do you get a savety distance between you and them
* Suppose your car gets into a skid ... how recover control
* Suppose you driving over a bridge and it collapses ... how do you escape
* When there is heavy rain, how do you avoid your car getting stuck in the water
* I park "backwards" to improve safety and other things like engine performance ... another YA explained why ... do you undersand why

Answer 5

No, I never felt that way because I am 14 and I sometimes drive alone, there is nothing to fear about

Answer 6

Ya that was the way i was you just have relax and your probably not just going to get in the car and go there probably going to tell how to do everything and when you do get in the car dont think about getting into a crash and dying think about how to not get in a crash and die also the first time you do drive they will probably let you drive on a safety course depending on the school but when your on the road just always pay attention to what your doin and about the not being able to sleep i think your gunna have to figure out yourself smoke some weed

Answer 7

i agree with the first answer.

im 19 and still really afraid to drive even tho i already have a license!

my parents are going to force me to drive as well
if you dont feel your ready, then take your time..your only 15 you dont need to rush to start driving because everyone else is doing it.

but good luck!

Answer 8

dont worry about it i mean youll get used to it eventually and shouldnt freak out because the less you think about it the easier it will be on you so dont worry .
i was sorta scared before i started and the less i thought about it the better i drove .
hope it helps somewhat.
- estefani

Answer 9

well think about it in a positive way...try not to picture yourself in any bad situations...also once you start driving you will slowly start to lose these fears...yup

Answer 10

relax millions of people operate vehicles safely each year.