Driving instructors are assholes.
No, seriously.
Not all of them, of course. But the majority are.
I’ve met a lot of driving instructors via Driving Peace in the last 10 years. I’ve not been impressed. Some have been downright repulsive. Cretinous, small-minded, petty authoritarians who are legends in their own minds.
They remind me of prosecuting attorneys. Prosecutors measure their success based on how many people they convict of crimes, aka, their conviction rate. Much like prosecutors focus on conviction rates, driving instructors measure success based on the pass rate. This is the number of their students who pass driving tests vs those who fail.
A high pass rate will keep a driving instructor in demand and busy, able to command significant fees for their time. All it really means though is they’re good at getting their students to pass driving tests. But passing a test doesn’t mean you’re a good driver. Or a confident one. Keep in mind they get paid to make sure you pass, not become a good driver, a safe driver, or a comfortable driver.
Most driving instructors should never be in charge of teaching anyone anything. They tend to be humorless, quotidian people, obsessed with statistics and various metrics. Such people are common in any industry that’s ultimately about passing tests.
How Driving Lessons Ease Anxiety
It feels silly taking driving lessons for anxiety as an adult. We all assume lessons are only for kids getting their learner’s permit or driver’s licence. It’s almost like driving is something you’re supposed to already have figured out by the time you grow up. This is often not the case though.
Many adults haven’t mastered it by any means, and would benefit greatly from lessons. Millions live with driving anxiety that makes driving incredibly difficult and stressful. Lessons can be a huge help in overcoming this anxiety.
Lessons teach you to master something, in this case, driving. Mastering driving involves acquiring quality skills in both the mechanics and psychological aspects of driving.
Lessons not only sharpen your physical driving skills, they also address mental issues with driving like hesitation, anxiety, and lack of confidence. Lessons help you experience mastery of driving. You don’t feel anxious about something you’ve mastered.
Choosing The Right Driving Instructor
If you’re taking driving lessons to address anxiety, you’ll need to be very selective in your choice of driving instructor. Most of them have no idea how to treat driving anxiety, and have little interest as well. I recommend you follow these steps when choosing an instructor:
- Ask friends/family for a recommendation – Before choosing randomly online, ask a friend or family member if they can recommend someone. If someone you trust had a good experience with an instructor, there’s a good chance you will too.
- Meet with them beforehand – Try to meet with the instructor before the actual lesson takes place. This gives you a chance to gauge their personality/energy before being trapped in a car with them.
- Read online reviews – Lots of instructors have websites, and lots of them are attached to driving schools, which also have websites. Take the time to read up on your list of prospective instructors.
Search for online reviews of local driving instructors
Questions to Ask Your Driving Instructor
You can weed out a lot of assholes by asking a few questions up front. For example:
- What kind of experience do you have? – Only train with an instructor who has wide and varied experience. Any decent instructor should easily be able to show how their experience benefits you as the student.
- How do you deal with students that have driving anxiety? – This is where a lot of instructors fail miserably. As I mentioned above, most of them are assholes who have no clue how to handle driving anxiety. And most have zero interest in it as well. Pass on any instructor who can’t properly address your driving anxiety.
- How do lessons with you help with anxiety? – Assuming they have experience with driving anxiety, ask them to get specific. How will they help you work through your anxiety?
- Can I switch instructors if the vibe isn’t right? – You should always retain the option to move on to someone else if the fit just isn’t right. Any instructor who gives you grief about this is not worth your time in the first place.
Resources for Driving Lessons
Driving Instructors Association (UK)
Improv Driving School (Top Rated in US)
Best Local Driving Schools for Adults
Finding the right instructor for driving lessons for anxiety can be a challenge. This is largely because most driving instructors generally suck and are huge assholes. Be prepared to search for a while to find the right one, especially if you want to take lessons because of driving anxiety.
The good news is, there are some great driving teachers out there. It’s mostly about finding the right fit personality-wise. Use the resources in this article to find the perfect driving instructor for you.
Namaste,
