On Driving

[diday 0]

I got my Learner's permit three weeks after my arrival in HI. (I did study HI learner's manual, a night before the written DMV test , just got lucky to meet the passing score 24/30). I was preparing for my road test for 2.5 months with a driving instructor plus my husband. Luckily passed the test and got license now. But if I am going to evaluate myself, I still need more info about driving. I just drove 2 times alone.

Two weeks ago while me and my husband was driving - me the driver and he was setting next to me, busy eating peanuts. I made a dangerous left turn. I made a mistake on the understanding that it was safe to follow the cars ahead of me, and the traffic light is green. I made the left turn, and while Im in the middle of that turn, I saw a fast car coming ang I pressed the gas hard, and the car did not hit us. I was nervous after wards husband too. We almost got killed. I told him not to trust my driving and be attentive on my driving.

After that incident, I lost my confidence in driving, husband is doing his best to gain back my confidence but I am still nervous and avoid to drive as much as possible.

I appreciate any suggestions and advises. Thanks

shie

[Completely 3]

I got my Learner's permit three weeks after my arrival in HI. (I did study HI learner's manual, a night before the written DMV test , just got lucky to meet the passing score 24/30). I was preparing for my road test for 2.5 months with a driving instructor plus my husband. Luckily passed the test and got license now. But if I am going to evaluate myself, I still need more info about driving. I just drove 2 times alone.

Two weeks ago while me and my husband was driving - me the driver and he was setting next to me, busy eating peanuts. I made a dangerous left turn. I made a mistake on the understanding that it was safe to follow the cars ahead of me, and the traffic light is green. I made the left turn, and while Im in the middle of that turn, I saw a fast car coming ang I pressed the gas hard, and the car did not hit us. I was nervous after wards husband too. We almost got killed. I told him not to trust my driving and be attentive on my driving.

After that incident, I lost my confidence in driving, husband is doing his best to gain back my confidence but I am still nervous and avoid to drive as much as possible.

I appreciate any suggestions and advises. Thanks

shie

People makes mistake, what important is learning from the mistakes you have done and remember not to do it again.

You will gain confidence by driving the car everyday.. If you will not do this, you will always be scared.

Everything in our life is taking a risk.. getting married is taking a risk, driving a car is taking a risk.. Everything..

No matter how careful you are driving, if your time comes, there is nothing you can do about it.. Our life is borrowed, one day we will go back to where we came from.

But yes we can do something to prevent accident, be attentive and pay attention while you drive..

Enjoy driving!

Edited October 13, 2008 by Completely

[chri'stina 190]

Aww, I'm sorry! Well at least you managed to avoid the accident. Even though it was your mistake, you did something to prevent it. Have you ever driven completely alone in the car? When I was learning to drive, I was more nervous with someone in the car with me. Once I had my license and could drive alone, I felt more confident and less nervous. Hope things get better!

[Scott & Lai 12]

I got my Learner's permit three weeks after my arrival in HI. (I did study HI learner's manual, a night before the written DMV test , just got lucky to meet the passing score 24/30). I was preparing for my road test for 2.5 months with a driving instructor plus my husband. Luckily passed the test and got license now. But if I am going to evaluate myself, I still need more info about driving. I just drove 2 times alone.

Two weeks ago while me and my husband was driving - me the driver and he was setting next to me, busy eating peanuts. I made a dangerous left turn. I made a mistake on the understanding that it was safe to follow the cars ahead of me, and the traffic light is green. I made the left turn, and while Im in the middle of that turn, I saw a fast car coming ang I pressed the gas hard, and the car did not hit us. I was nervous after wards husband too. We almost got killed. I told him not to trust my driving and be attentive on my driving.

After that incident, I lost my confidence in driving, husband is doing his best to gain back my confidence but I am still nervous and avoid to drive as much as possible.

I appreciate any suggestions and advises. Thanks

shie

Best thing is to just get out and drive as much as you are able. Was the light a solid green light, or a green arrow? If it was solid, you didn't have the right-of-way, and would have to yield to the on-coming traffic, regardless of any cars turning ahead of you. If it was an arrow, you had the righ-of-way, and the person who almost hit you would have run a red light. Even when you have the legal r-ght-of way, though, you still have to check all directions to be sure there isn't someone where they shouldn't be that might hit you.

No matter how careful you are driving, if your time comes, there is nothing you can do about it.. Our life is borrowed, one day we will go back to where we came from.

The idea of my "time" coming has never sounded right to me; sounds more like fate, and releases us from the obligation to take responsibility for our actions. And where did we "come from" that we are going back to?

Aww, I'm sorry! Well at least you managed to avoid the accident. Even though it was your mistake, you did something to prevent it. Have you ever driven completely alone in the car? When I was learning to drive, I was more nervous with someone in the car with me. Once I had my license and could drive alone, I felt more confident and less nervous. Hope things get better!

Lai is that way too...when I'm in the car, she tends to rely on me, and is more likely to make errors.

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

take a drive alone. I know I make my wife nervous when I'm there.

[1HappyGuy 45]

It takes a while to become confident in your driving skills. You should just keep driving every day possible. Confidence will come with experience behind the wheel. Just try to keep your areas of driving to relatively easy areas until you feel the confidence within you.

Just remember to drive alert, under control, observe everything and obey the laws. It gets easier and you will get better.

[Empress of Groovy 373]

I think practically everyone who is learning to drive has a near-miss or two. I seem to remember nearly causing a couple of accidents when I was learning to drive a stick shift. It'll take a little while for you to become confident, but the important thing is to keep driving. To abuse a cliche, you have to get back in the saddle, or you'll always associate driving with being anxious. Driving is definitely a "learn from your mistakes" kind of skill.

Another advantage: I bet you'll never make the "just follow the cars" mistake again. Like other people have said, you have to keep practicing. You'll become much more confident as you gain experience.

Good luck!

[Teacher Mark 53]

I got my Learner's permit three weeks after my arrival in HI. (I did study HI learner's manual, a night before the written DMV test , just got lucky to meet the passing score 24/30). I was preparing for my road test for 2.5 months with a driving instructor plus my husband. Luckily passed the test and got license now. But if I am going to evaluate myself, I still need more info about driving. I just drove 2 times alone.

Two weeks ago while me and my husband was driving - me the driver and he was setting next to me, busy eating peanuts. I made a dangerous left turn. I made a mistake on the understanding that it was safe to follow the cars ahead of me, and the traffic light is green. I made the left turn, and while Im in the middle of that turn, I saw a fast car coming ang I pressed the gas hard, and the car did not hit us. I was nervous after wards husband too. We almost got killed. I told him not to trust my driving and be attentive on my driving.

After that incident, I lost my confidence in driving, husband is doing his best to gain back my confidence but I am still nervous and avoid to drive as much as possible.

I appreciate any suggestions and advises. Thanks

shie

People makes mistake, what important is learning from the mistakes you have done and remember not to do it again.

You will gain confidence by driving the car everyday.. If you will not do this, you will always be scared.

Everything in our life is taking a risk.. getting married is taking a risk, driving a car is taking a risk.. Everything..

No matter how careful you are driving, if your time comes, there is nothing you can do about it.. Our life is borrowed, one day we will go back to where we came from.

But yes we can do something to prevent accident, be attentive and pay attention while you drive..

Enjoy driving!

I respectfully disagree with that notion.

take a drive alone. I know I make my wife nervous when I'm there.

Agreed.

[Teacher Mark 53]

I drive for a living and can vouch for the fact that everyone makes mistakes. Even me, believe it or not! The difference between you and most others is that you understand that you screwed up and are concerned with that. I have seen many people puts themselves and others at risk with dangerous driving and they don't care. There are very few days that go by that I don't have someone come close to hitting my truck.

I noticed this article today and posted it with you in mind:

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=156324

Maybe you and your husband could look into getting the computer program they are talking about in the article.

Above all don't be intimidated. Within my first 5000 miles of driving a car I lost a front wheel!

[GiGii 4]

Too bad they dont have those simulators like we had way back in the day, where you sat in a machine, a video was being shown, and you were supposed to drive like you would, and then it would tell you what you did wrong/right. That was good practice, and no chance of getting killed

Maybe start with side streets, less traveled roads.

[MariaBonita 11]

Don't let that mistake keep you from driving. Just learn from it, and move on.

[MissStacey 1]

I had a similar experience when I first started driving. Left hand turns made me nervous for a while. There were some intersections (especially the one this incident almost happened at) that I would try to avoid because they scared me. But the more I drove- the more confident I became and I made the decision that I would use that intersection instead of taking a different street even if it made me nervous. Now a days most major intersections have a green arrow for left hand turns- I like that.

[diday 0]

Thank you guys for all your replies , it helps me and i started driving again........... but will little fear.