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
1365 Views
I'm tempted to take this opportunity to poke fun at New Yorkers.
- 13/12/2011 05:20:14 PM
877 Views
Re: I'm tempted to take this opportunity to poke fun at New Yorkers.
- 13/12/2011 09:58:55 PM
835 Views
Re: I'm tempted to take this opportunity to poke fun at New Yorkers.
- 13/12/2011 10:37:47 PM
806 Views
Re: I'm tempted to take this opportunity to poke fun at New Yorkers.
- 13/12/2011 10:50:38 PM
871 Views
*NM*
I failed my first test.
- 13/12/2011 05:49:58 PM
1018 Views
I would love to drive on empty country roads.
- 13/12/2011 10:08:35 PM
788 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
868 Views
)
- 13/12/2011 11:43:44 PM
868 Views
13 yrs old.
- 13/12/2011 06:02:22 PM
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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
900 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
761 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
889 Views
It must be harder to overcome that natural fear in NYC.
- 13/12/2011 06:44:28 PM
837 Views
Isn't it traditional to fail your first test? Or is that just around here?
- 13/12/2011 08:14:01 PM
860 Views
I wouldn't think so
- 13/12/2011 08:25:36 PM
750 Views
It's rare to pass on the first try here. (according to driving instructor)
- 13/12/2011 09:44:39 PM
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I know Texas talked about doing away with it because the failure rate was so low
- 14/12/2011 03:15:11 AM
802 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
816 Views
Oh I think most people with years' worth of driving experience be fine.
- 14/12/2011 12:27:09 AM
1021 Views
I was even rather nervous about taking lessons and failed my first
- 14/12/2011 08:30:25 AM
960 Views
I love driving.
- 14/12/2011 03:24:59 PM
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Me, too.
- 18/12/2011 04:31:29 AM
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Did you ever attend a driving school? *NM*
- 14/12/2011 05:29:33 PM
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I don't think so.
- 15/12/2011 05:22:09 AM
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Yes, you did.
- 15/12/2011 04:44:48 PM
803 Views
That's not a sign.
- 14/12/2011 05:29:36 PM
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Whoa.
- 15/12/2011 07:21:52 AM
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Fewer cars on the road. Fewer double-parked cars. *NM*
- 15/12/2011 06:25:21 PM
324 Views
Also, you can tell when there's someone around the corner, because of the headlights.
- 19/12/2011 04:18:26 PM
860 Views
Oooh, that's a good point.
- 19/12/2011 05:17:16 PM
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It's more pronounced and important in the countryside where there are no streetlights.
- 19/12/2011 05:51:25 PM
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In the country there are deer
- 20/12/2011 05:53:17 AM
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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
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Driving tests are far harder in the Netherlands, from what I understand
- 14/12/2011 05:34:38 PM
810 Views
don't worry i fluffed my practical test up today
- 14/12/2011 08:24:56 PM
888 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
798 Views
and there's no way I would have willingly gotten behind the wheel at 17.
- 15/12/2011 05:12:29 AM
798 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
725 Views
Amusing (to me) comparison to sex risks.
- 17/12/2011 05:50:16 PM
857 Views
- 17/12/2011 05:50:16 PM
857 Views
Re: Amusing (to me) comparison to sex risks.
- 17/12/2011 06:07:51 PM
911 Views
- 17/12/2011 06:07:51 PM
911 Views
No. But it is true that my risk aversion coefficient is too high.
- 17/12/2011 06:49:33 PM
712 Views
Isn't learning to drive in NYC sort of like
- 18/12/2011 04:21:47 AM
840 Views