I had a fair bit of driving anxiety when I started out as well. I don't think it was as bad as what you ang Ghavrel are describing, but driving by myself definitely made me nervous, and I had to take measures to calm myself down. During my driving test I was even more nervous and made some errors. The funny part is that on my second test I was even more nervous and did worse, but they passed me that time (different instructor).
After a couple years of driving on my own all the nerves and fear faded away, and since then driving has felt easy and natural to me. You gain more situational awareness the longer you drive as well, so that you know, for example, whether or not there's anyone in that next lane.
But I have never, in fairness, driven in New York City. I imagine it's not the best place to learn. I first learned on empty country roads and then a town of only 20,000 people.
After a couple years of driving on my own all the nerves and fear faded away, and since then driving has felt easy and natural to me. You gain more situational awareness the longer you drive as well, so that you know, for example, whether or not there's anyone in that next lane.
But I have never, in fairness, driven in New York City. I imagine it's not the best place to learn. I first learned on empty country roads and then a town of only 20,000 people.
NYC does have a lot of requirements, especially if you want to get a driver's license at 17- there's an additional driver's education course you have to take and you have to log at least 50 hours of driving with a licensed instructor, including 15 hours after sunset. [I just looked this up, and I'm actually surprised at how strict it is] And then after all that, most of them still fail the first time. There is one theory that the examiners are extra strict on young prospective drivers.
NSSP: Driving
- 13/12/2011 05:15:41 PM
1535 Views
I'm tempted to take this opportunity to poke fun at New Yorkers.
- 13/12/2011 05:20:14 PM
1057 Views
Re: I'm tempted to take this opportunity to poke fun at New Yorkers.
- 13/12/2011 09:58:55 PM
974 Views
Re: I'm tempted to take this opportunity to poke fun at New Yorkers.
- 13/12/2011 10:37:47 PM
961 Views
Re: I'm tempted to take this opportunity to poke fun at New Yorkers.
- 13/12/2011 10:50:38 PM
1028 Views
*NM*
I failed my first test.
- 13/12/2011 05:49:58 PM
1165 Views
I would love to drive on empty country roads.
- 13/12/2011 10:08:35 PM
948 Views
I had to take the driving test 3 time before I passed (posted at the wrong place 
)
- 13/12/2011 11:43:44 PM
1084 Views
)
- 13/12/2011 11:43:44 PM
1084 Views
13 yrs old.
- 13/12/2011 06:02:22 PM
1172 Views
Seriously? Why? At 13 you should have had some awareness of the danger you were posing to others
- 13/12/2011 10:27:59 PM
1063 Views
Re: Seriously? Why? At 13 you should have had some awareness of the danger you were posing to others
- 13/12/2011 10:37:41 PM
915 Views
Probably just a difference in perspective. Kids sneaking a vehicle for a jor ride is pretty common.
- 15/12/2011 03:51:30 AM
1055 Views
It must be harder to overcome that natural fear in NYC.
- 13/12/2011 06:44:28 PM
1016 Views
Isn't it traditional to fail your first test? Or is that just around here?
- 13/12/2011 08:14:01 PM
1012 Views
I wouldn't think so
- 13/12/2011 08:25:36 PM
903 Views
It's rare to pass on the first try here. (according to driving instructor)
- 13/12/2011 09:44:39 PM
1069 Views
I know Texas talked about doing away with it because the failure rate was so low
- 14/12/2011 03:15:11 AM
970 Views
I wonder how many people that have been driving for years and years would fail if they had to take
- 14/12/2011 12:03:55 AM
1041 Views
Oh I think most people with years' worth of driving experience be fine.
- 14/12/2011 12:27:09 AM
1175 Views
I was even rather nervous about taking lessons and failed my first
- 14/12/2011 08:30:25 AM
1116 Views
I love driving.
- 14/12/2011 03:24:59 PM
1044 Views
Me, too.
- 18/12/2011 04:31:29 AM
949 Views
Re: Me, three.
- 18/12/2011 07:37:55 PM
1019 Views
Did you ever attend a driving school? *NM*
- 14/12/2011 05:29:33 PM
441 Views
I don't think so.
- 15/12/2011 05:22:09 AM
1058 Views
Yes, you did.
- 15/12/2011 04:44:48 PM
960 Views
That's not a sign.
- 14/12/2011 05:29:36 PM
1022 Views
Whoa.
- 15/12/2011 07:21:52 AM
1048 Views
Fewer cars on the road. Fewer double-parked cars. *NM*
- 15/12/2011 06:25:21 PM
391 Views
Also, you can tell when there's someone around the corner, because of the headlights.
- 19/12/2011 04:18:26 PM
1002 Views
Oooh, that's a good point.
- 19/12/2011 05:17:16 PM
1126 Views
It's more pronounced and important in the countryside where there are no streetlights.
- 19/12/2011 05:51:25 PM
1118 Views
In the country there are deer
- 20/12/2011 05:53:17 AM
994 Views
Oh yeah, forgot about those. We don't have that many left, and only up in the Highlands. *NM*
- 20/12/2011 10:18:41 AM
574 Views
Driving tests are far harder in the Netherlands, from what I understand
- 14/12/2011 05:34:38 PM
934 Views
don't worry i fluffed my practical test up today
- 14/12/2011 08:24:56 PM
1044 Views
I'm older than you 
and there's no way I would have willingly gotten behind the wheel at 17.
- 15/12/2011 05:12:29 AM
951 Views
and there's no way I would have willingly gotten behind the wheel at 17.
- 15/12/2011 05:12:29 AM
951 Views
I found driving nervewracking until I got to do it by myself. NZ has a great system, IMO.
- 15/12/2011 01:48:19 PM
879 Views
Amusing (to me) comparison to sex risks.
- 17/12/2011 05:50:16 PM
1033 Views
- 17/12/2011 05:50:16 PM
1033 Views
Re: Amusing (to me) comparison to sex risks.
- 17/12/2011 06:07:51 PM
1070 Views
- 17/12/2011 06:07:51 PM
1070 Views
No. But it is true that my risk aversion coefficient is too high.
- 17/12/2011 06:49:33 PM
871 Views
Isn't learning to drive in NYC sort of like
- 18/12/2011 04:21:47 AM
986 Views