4 years ago I failed my driving test 3rd time, as I was just about to buy my first house I decided to put driving on hold s all the money I had saved for a car was going on my new house.

I have now decided to try again as I have saved up again enough money for a car and 1st years insurance.

But.............very nervous !! So many idiots on the road scares me and a very close family friends was killed last year in a car accident which makes me even more nervous.
I don't need to drive for work, but it would be useful as I am newly single and would be great to take my spaniels off to the seaside in summer and to different places for long walks. I am aslo fed up of begging lifts everywhere.

I am 34 and feel its now or never

Has any other forum folk been through a similar fear but managed to pass ??

I wouldn't have said I was nervous before learning to drive, just a bit apprehensive. I could have started learining in May 2002 but put it off til the September just because I was being a bit wussy :D
But once I got the hang of it I was fine, failed first time on some really stupid errors made by myself but then passed second time and have been driving myself allover ever since.
I would be lost if I couldn't drive, its a very valuable skill. So just GO FOR IT, you'll be fine :)

Hi Cath

I started to learn to drive like everyone as soon as poss at 17 & unfortuantely whilst learning I had a small bump in my dad's car...scared the life out of me...I continued to have lessons but was very nervous so in the end gave it up.  I then went away to uni where didn't need a car anyway however once I graduated I found that there were a lot of jobs I needed a car for.  So after much convincing by my OH I started to learn again.  I told the instructor right from the beginning about my previous & he was really understanding...it took me best part for a year to be at test standard (very expensive) but when I had my 1st test nerves took over & I failed...it took me a further 3 tests until I passed (apparently the national average is 4!!) & I've never looked back!  I did get very disheartened after every fail but it made me more determined to pass.  It is expensive I won't lie about that (I paid £20 an hour) but I love the freedom it gives me, I no longer after rely on my OH for the food shopping & can take the dog to the vets or the park...its great!

I would recommend you start learning again, you have to do a theory & hazard perception as well now which I have books on which I would happily send to you - but they are dead easy anyway!!!  Find a good instructor, tell him/her about your past & take it at your pace....good luck!

Hi Cath :-)

I was a bag of nerves, and i failed 2 tests because of it :-( but then i changed my instructor, and i felt more comfortable with her, she told me on the morning of my test, to go in there with the attitude "your going to give me this licence" and thats all i kept thinking about while taking my 3rd test, and i passed :-D

I've been driving now for just over 2 years :-) It's the best thing i ever did........so i'd say, go for it :-)

Good Luck :-)

I started learning to drive in my mid twenties, fell pregnant, failed my test & never drove again for 9yrs. When I took it up again I was extremely nervous & much much worse than I was in the beginning. I failed my test again, took a different instructor & some intensive lessons before finally passing. I can remember being so nervous that my teeth were chattering & I could barely talk. Go for it.

I was nervous of learning to drive but my mum booked my lessons without my knowledge,so I just had to get on with it.
On my first lesson I couldn't even push the pedals because my legs were like jelly :)
I solved my nervousness with baachs rescue remedy though and only needed 32 lessons and passed first time :D (arent I a clever girl ;))

I didn't look very clever on wednesday morning when I wrote my car off though
I was on my way to work at 6:45 in the morning and  a car pulled out in front of me on the roundabout so I had to swerve to avoid him and skidded on a patch of black ice
The car spun right round and went head on into the barriers :(
Luckily I wasn't hurt but the car and the barrier were :rolleyes:
And the best of it is I now have to pay £405 for the barrier which I bent

i as 29 when i started to learn to drive i had come into some money me and my partner had just split but we were still very friendly i had been saying for over a yar i was going to finially learn how to drive so this time i went out with my money and brough myself a car and it sat outside my house for 3 week then one day my ex took me to a place local from here called the cardrome its a massive plot of land which has roads rounabouts traffic lights and all sorts you can actually drive over there from 14 years of age as long as you have a person with a full licence it cost £12 to get in and you can stay there as long as you want, he drove round first so i could see what was going on and how things were layed out after about 10 mins he got out and i got in the first time i spent 4 hour there i loved it we went back there 3 more times on the 4th time i said right im going to drive out of here so stuck on my L plates i put myself through the theory with the help of a programe on the pc failed my first 2 theory by 1 point 3rd time i sailed through spent the next 6 weeks driving around with my ex my dad and friends, then i found a instructor and was put in for my test straight away got a cancelation and within 2 weeks i took my test and passed first time that was 6 months ago now i passed 3 days befor my 30th birthday and i havent looked back my car is a god send i would say when you start to learn get your car and get L plates outs and get someone to take you out as oftern as possible and GOOD LUCK

You can do it and you will do it :)  I first learned at 17 and was told after a few lessons to forget it   I started again 10 years later and would you believe I had 100 lessons!!!  It took me over a year until my instructor said I should apply for my test.  Passed first go (much to everyone's amazement).  It gives you a new freedom so go for it.  My greatest driving achievement was the Great Ocean Road a few years ago so set yourself a goal and don't stop until you get there :)

CG

Maybe reading the book Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway by Susan Jeffers may help?

I might try that book

Thank you everyone. I am very determined now to start again.

i began first lessons at 17 but went away to uni and had no money for lessons!
so now ive come back- i started lessons in july and my test is booked next month- it is scary at first, but once it clicks then your fine- ive had 21 lessons, need more now to perfect my driving before test - but im now getting really worried- just have to stay calm and clear headed, i drive a Golf to practice in when with OH, but i tried driving another car and messed it all up- so im going to stick with the golf, and learn to drive other car once ive past!

deep breaths!!

Good luck with your test next month Chrisjack :-)

It took me 4 attempts and gawd knows how many lessons to pass my test:rolleyes: Its well worth it........Go for it gal!!

Another off putter is the cost !!!!!!!!!!!!! £20 per hour lesson !!!

Think I will become an instructor !!! hahahahahaha (think not)

My lessons were 23.50 per hour, so 20.00 a leason, is cheap :-)

Im 17, my lessons were 14.50 an hour and I passed first time in december after 3 months of driving and about 30 lessons :) I have just bought my new car, very scary! It has been 6 weeks since I have last driven, so it will take a while to get back into the swing of things, but yes, bite the bullet and go for it :D

I've been learning over a year and still don't feel ready.  I just can't get hang of it but while on roads I have too much confidence and not enough skill and also to much desire for speed (I will happily take the car round the lanes not much slower then parents)

I used to get told off for speeding !!

My downfall was reversing and parking,,,,,,,,,just can't get hang of it !!

I'm hoping to start learning to drive once I'm 18 (in June) since my parents said they might get me some driving lessons for my birthday!
I couldn't afford it otherwise. I'm quite looking forward to learning though :)
My dad gave me a bit of a lesson a few weeks ago which was interesting. I wasn't very good :D

I'm not to bad at reversing or parking in the instructors car, but can't park in my car!  Forget it completly if I'm getting into a parking space!