Collaborative Post¦ Car accidents, even just minor collisions, can have a serious impact on your confidence behind the wheel. You are terrified that the same thing will happen again, especially as the more nervous you are, the more prone you will be to making a mistake. However, whether you work or adventure, you must be confident enough to get behind the wheel, so here are some tips to get your confidence back after a car accident.
Keeping everything in your head won’t do you any good, and as your insurance will require a detailed account of the accident, you will need to write everything down. Doing so won’t just make clear what happened; it can also give you insight on how you can prevent it from happening again. Furthermore, your mind might believe the experience was more traumatic than it actually was, so writing each stage of the incident down will help you realise that it was more of a simple, innocent mistake rather than anything too serious.
Likewise, talking about the incident with friends, family, and even car accident lawyers who know what they’re doing will help you cope with anxiety and fear more comfortably. They can offer advice or sit and listen to you, whichever you think is best for you. They might be able to provide ways to avoid repeating the issue in the future, or they can help put your mind at ease in believing that the other party was at fault, even if you’re not convinced yourself.
The first time you take the car out following an accident can bring back all the traumatic feelings that you remembered the last time you were in the car. This won’t do you any good, and you’re likely to make another mistake if you’re nervous before even pulling out the driveway. You should bring someone with you when getting in the car for the first time, as this will help ground you, putting your mind at ease to make sure you remain calm. They can also offer support when driving, even if it’s only to the shops.
It will be tempting to avoid the site of the incident, but this means you will need to adjust your route and maybe drive somewhere that you are unfamiliar with, which could also lead to another accident if you get nervous in new places. This also feeds into your existing anxiety, so you’re best off going through the crash site as often as possible. Doing so will make you realise that it was an accident and that the chances of it happening again are slim. This will boost your confidence like few other solutions and help you become more capable.
You cannot avoid driving forever, so you must get back behind the wheel as soon as you feel comfortable doing so. With many car accidents, it is nothing but a one-off, an anomaly that won’t happen again, and while you may still be nervous the first time you go out, you’ll soon get back into the swing of things.
Disclosure: This is a collaborative post.
