Lots of people contact me with driving anxiety asking whether driving an automatic car will fix it.
The simple answer is no.
Let me explain why although having an automatic car might make things easier, it’s not going to overcome a fear of driving.
Why automatic cars won’t fix driving anxiety
Automatic cars won’t fix driving anxiety because driving isn’t the problem.
Driving is only how another problem shows itself so a bigger car, smaller car, newer car or automatic car won’t do anything.
What is this other problem you need to work on?
You can learn more about that by reading my page How to overcome driving anxiety.
How automatic cars can make driving anxiety worse
Let’s look at how you get driving anxiety and then you’ll understand why changing to an automatic car might just make things worse.
One day you’re driving and something happens like a crash or a temporary loss of control. Sometimes you don’t even know what it is that happens.
Your mind thinks “Driving is dangerous. I’m going to stop them ever doing it again”.
If you try and get around this by changing your car to an automatic then your mind will know you’re trying to drive and can make the problem even worse to make you listen!
Think of your problem like a child that is holding on to a toy and won’t put it down when you ask them to. What happens if you rip that toy out of the child’s grip? It throws a tantrum and makes more fuss than before.
That’s just what your problem will do if you try and force it to go.
How to overcome driving anxiety
You must find what the real problem is and release it.
You can do this with my online driving anxiety course or by contacting me for 1-2-1 sessions online.
Either is much cheaper than buying a new car.