As well as motorways and dual carriageways, many have a phobia or anxiety of hills, tunnels, flyovers and open roads; with the end result being the failure to make progress when its safe.

Fear of motorway driving Fear of higher speeds Feeling overwhelmed	How to see the big picture How to re-learn the skills How to succeed at speed

Fear of motorway driving

A fear or phobia of motorways, is a very common condition and is due at times to new drivers not gaining experience on motorways. The Pass Plus course sanctioned by the DSA (in the UK) is designed to help reduce anxiety and build confidence in new drivers after passing the driving test.

The Pass Plus course is course normally around six hours in duration. This allows new drivers to gain experience on motorways and dual carriageways as well as in other settings often reducing high speed driving nerves and anxiety.

The Pass Plus course can also be taken by drivers who have previously been both competant and confident at motorway driving with the fear, anxiety or phobia of driving developing later. This anxiety is often due to stress, illness or accidents resulting in motorway nerves or panic.

Unfortunately for many in both categories, the lack of skills and confidence of high speed driving often escalates in intensity until these drivers stop using motorways altogether due to motorway nerves or panic. Many others keep their motorway driving to the minimum although they feel very uncomfortable whilst doing so.

Fortunately, the defensive driving skills we teach can make motorway panic diminish due to the driver creating more space around their vehicle. When this technique is acheived, clients tend to become more confident due to the improved safety margin all around.

When the perceived likelihood of something dangerous happening reduces due to a relaxed but focused manner and mastering greater skills, the fear of motorway driving will often reduce or vanish.

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Fear of higher speeds

Higher speed driving is not limited to motorways, as dual carriageways also require a similar style of driving. Also, making good progress on two way roads when its safe is essential to keep traffic flowing and prevent other road users from becoming frustrated.

Higher speeds are also particularly usefull when overtaking so that the manouvre can be completed promptly to avoid coming into conflict with opposing traffic on two way roads. On motorways and dual carriageways it is important to complete overtaking manouvres promptly so that it does not hold up following drivers.

A relaxed but focused mindset is encouraged through the use of hypnotherapy enabling those with a fear, phobia of higher speed driving to improve their skills more easily and eliminate nerves and panic. The individual driver must decide if they can recover the skills on their own or undertake driver training to help.

Those requiring practical help can choose a local instructor, a Pass Plus course with a local instructor, or further training with me or other specialist in the field.

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Feeling overwhelmed

Drivers who have a fear, anxiety or phobia of motorway driving often report that they suffer from physical symptoms such as heart palpitations, nausea and a sense of dread. Also, they feel overwhelmed by higher speeds and heavy volumes of traffic.

This may lead to making incorrect decisions which actually cause danger. Motorway users in these categories tend to use less busy motorways or time their journeys so that there is less traffic around. They frequently do not make progress when it is safe and in extreme cases they stop using motorways entirely.

While this may be true, the cause for most is simply the lack of observation, awareness, planning and anticipation. The practical driver training develops clients high speed observation skills so that they can frequently decide earlier upon their course of action. This tends to make clients less hesitant which boosts their confidence to make more progress when it is safe.

Simple textbook tips often makes a significant difference in reducing fear, anxiety and panic whilst driving. Many drivers who have panic attacks on motorways, do so due to copying the actions of other motorway drivers without realising that the driiving of others is often poor.

Study the Highway Code and other DSA publications and practice the techniques therein. If you need additional practical help, seek advice from someone who can deliver the level of help you need.

The hypnotherapy element helps fearful, anxious of phobic motorway drivers develop a more relaxed but focused mindset resulting in more forward planning. This process can leave the driver feeling more in control with a reduced level of motorway fear, anxiety, nerves or panic.

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How to see the big picture

Seeing the big picture with motorway driving is quite simple. Its about being relaxed but focused enough to be able to function normally whilst driving on a motorway or at higher speeds and learning or developing the appropriate skills.

Its the skills involved that makes seeing the big picture easy. Its all about driving on motorways with big safety margins all around, early observation and planning. Individuals who do not drive frequently on motorways seem to forget that a safe overall stopping distance at 30 MPH has to be more than quadrupeled to create a safe overall stopping distance at 70 MPH.

Another way to keep well back from the driver ahead is to leave at least a two second gap (in good conditions with a vehicle in roadworthy condition). When the driver ahead passes a specific point (for example a lampost), you should be able to count two seconds before you reach thet point. Please see the 'Highway Code' for more details.

Drivers who copy the action of other motorway drivers BE AWARE that many motorway drivers just leave just half a second gap or less which is simply not safe. Big gaps all around equate to big safety margins so that if things go wrong you will be more likely to be able to KEEP OUT OF TROUBLE and not panic.

The more relaxed mindset drivers normally develop following hypnotherapy with me or the use of 6 CD set is designed to help clients to overcome nerves about motorway driving. Also, the relaxed atmosphere of the practical driving aspect when conducted by me, invariably instils a sense of confidence in participants, reducing anxiety.

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How to re-learn the skills

My advice on how to re-learn the skills required to become a confident motorway driver void of irrational fears, anxieties, nerves and phobia's follows.

Firstly, invest in the Nervous Driver CD set which is designed to help you develop a relaxed but focused mindset. CDs three and four are the confident driving CDs linked to motorway and higher speed driving.

Then decide upon the level of practical training you need to recover or establish you skills of driving on motorways and at higher speeds. Information in the Fear of Driving booklet sets out some of the issues involved and information on how to reduce or resolve them.

If you need to, use our Counselling service to help you digest the information contained within the 'Fear of Driving' booklet and CD set, details are available on this site.

I will help you select a local instructor as part of the counselling if you decide to take that route and explain about what you should expect to help you resolve or reduce your motorway nerves/anxiety.

I will help you select a Pass Plus Instructor as part of the counselling if you decide to take that route and explain about what is involved in Pass Plus training.

If you decide to take the Nervous Driver Course to help you resolve your motorway fear anxiety or phobia, please call me to arrange an appointment.

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How to succeed at speed

To succeed at driving at speed you need to develop a relaxed but focused mindset. Our Nervous Driver CD set is designed to help you attain this goal but if you can acheive the same result through Meditation, Tai Chi, Pilates or Yoga etc it may help.

Observation, awareness, planning and anticipation are a large part of the skills required to reduce or overcome the fear, anxiety, nerves or phobia of motorway driving. Find someone appropriate to help you develop these skills if required.

Keep good safety margins ahead and all around you. This is likely to keep you out of trouble if things go wrong and is likely to make you feel more relaxed and reduce motorway nerves/anxiety.

Remember the danger of copying the tactics of other road users, some are far from good drivers. Consider that higher speeds are useful and sometimes necessary when involved with overtaking manouvres etc.

Further reading in the form of 'The Highway Code' and 'Driving, The Essential Skills' can be very informative and they are both official DSA publications.

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