How to beat driving test nerves: advice from the experts

Learner drivers haven’t had an easy time of it recently.

The last year has seen hundreds of thousands of driving tests cancelled or rescheduled and, even as lockdown has eased, learners have struggled to secure a test date.

There are still huge queues to secure an appointment and the fear of failing and having to wait months for another try is adding to an already stressful situation for many.

So, to help learners overcome driving test nerves we’ve spoken to Dave Dunsford, a senior driving instructor at RED Driving School to see what learners can do to manage their anxiety and pass their test.

Dave says: “I’ve seen first-hand how anxiousness can hinder a learner driver’s progress and how some very good candidates fail their driving test because of stress and nervousness on their big day.

“Most people assume driving anxiety stems from fear of crashing your car or having an accident. This is not the case. According to Dr Paul Greene, the most common cause of driving anxiety is the fear of having a panic attack. Sometimes, people have a panic attack when driving and then have a significant fear of that happening again. Other key causes of driving anxiety include previous traumatic experiences when in a car, claustrophobia, a lack of confidence, getting lost or unpredictable road conditions.

How to spot and cope with driving anxiety