You can overcome driving anxiety after a crash

If you’ve recently been involved in a car crash, you may feel anxious once you get behind the wheel again. Maybe you haven’t been able to summon up the courage to do it yet. That’s not at all abnormal. Even if the accident wasn’t your fault, it’s only natural to be back in the position you were in when it happened.

However, the longer you wait to start driving again, the more difficult it will be when you finally do. The key is to take things in small steps to help build up your comfort level. Just as when you first learned how to drive, the more you do it, the more comfortable you will feel.

Here are some tips that will help you on your journey back to being a confident driver.

Bring someone with you

Often, just having another person sitting next to you in the car can help you be less nervous than if you were alone. If you have another licensed driver in the front passenger seat, you also have the reassurance that should you have an anxiety attack, they can take over for you.

Stick to easier drives, if possible

While you’re still building up your confidence, it’s best to limit your driving to daylight hours if you can. It’s also best to use surface streets instead of freeways if that’s where you feel most comfortable. Just the speed of the vehicles on our freeways can be nerve-wracking. If you need to use the freeway, stay in the slow lane so that you don’t feel pressured by other drivers to exceed the speed limit.

Take a refresher driver’s ed course

If you haven’t driven for months or longer, either because of your injuries or out of fear, consider signing up for some behind-the-wheel training. Driver’s ed schools aren’t just for teens getting their license. They have students of all ages who need to reapply for their driver’s licenses or just want to freshen up on their skills after decades of developing bad driving habits.

If you suffered injuries in a crash caused by another driver’s actions or negligence, make sure that you get the compensation you need to deal with your medical bills, lost income and other expenses. An experienced attorney can help you ensure that you’re pursuing all of your options.