Intensive driving course for nervous driver?

Idiopath

Hi,
I'm an extremely nervous driver on my learner permit at the moment..
I own a small 1.3ltr automatic car and am thinking about doing an intensive week of driving lessons to get me over my fear as I'm moving to Dublin in September with work and would like passing my test to at least be a possibility by then...
Has anyone done an intensive weeklong driving course, (2-4hours a day for a week) and was it successful?
Any other tips for an anxious driver looking to be on the road by the end of the summer?

rotun

Hi.

Firstly, what part are you most nervous of?

Other road users or driving the car?

Idiopath

Kind of both,
I can drive the car but get really nervous going up to 50/60kms/hr.
The other road users make me nervous too, busy roads just freak me out...

rotun

Ok. the first one. Does you feel in any way more comfortable at 50kph than when you first started driving?

Idiopath

To be honest, I tend to avoid driving because i'm so nervous about it. I guess I feel a little more comfortable

rotun

Ok, that would lead me to think that solo practicing would be of benefit to you.

Is there an industrial estate near you that you could go to on a weekend when it's empty?

Idiopath

Yea there is, i could spend a while practicing there!

shanec1928

rotun wrote: »

Ok, that would lead me to think that solo practicing would be of benefit to you.

Is there an industrial estate near you that you could go to on a weekend when it's empty?

Op needs an accompanied driver it's the law.

Idiopath

I only drive accompanied - presume rotrun meant without driving instructor/with fully licensed friend or family

rotun

I'll pm you.

ProudDUB

You aren't going to become a competent, safe and relaxed driver, in just a week, just by doing intensive hour long driving lessons. There is only so much information that you can take in, before it starts to bleed out of your brain. There is only so much driving that you can do, before your concentration becomes affected and you start to make mistakes.

What about doing individual lessons that target a particular area of driving in each individual lessons? Do roundabouts in one lesson. Do dual carriageways in the next. Do heavy city centre traffic in the next one. And so on and so on. In between lessons, go out with your sponsor and practice what you did in the previous lesson. The more practice driving that you do, the more you will feel comfortable and more relaxed tackling each different aspect of driving.

Practice is the only thing that will lead to you becoming a good driver. The better you become, the more relaxed and confident a driver you will become over time. There is no quick fix for this. There is no magic button you can press, or intensive course that you can do, that can will turn you into a good, safe & confident driver in a short space of time.

Don't go out on your own. If you are as nervous as you say you are, you are just a danger to yourself, as well as other road users.

rotun

Hows the driving going?

Idiopath

I'm 5 lessons in now, going pretty well! Not half as nervous as when I started, been driving around cork city - feeling like a daredevil!