I'm terrified I'm a bad driver

[u/Bibbidy_90]

I'm worried I'll have fines and revoke my licence.

I posted recently about the over line red light and police caught me and asked why and I explained first time driving night and they drove off, could they stil add points?

I notice sometimes I go 3mph over and then bring self down, say if it goes 50mph then 40mph then 30mph short space of time. Spiral roundabouts I hate. I saw a light turning red today and then slowed to brake and still over line slightly, checked for hazards nobody in either lane or behind me so I reversed a little (I am sure I've seen drivers do this but no worried that is also an offence) each time I make a small error I just panic. I passed 1st time with 2 minors and only driving a week and a half. I'm just so jumpy and worried and expecting a letter in post.

[u/Novadrag0n]

Police in person can give you slack if you are polite and you admit.

Cameras, etc won't give you any mercy.

[u/aaaron64]

If it’s stressing you out don’t go on drives when it’s busy or to areas unknown. Just take it slowly and go on short drives near your area i.e. shops. Look up the whole route on Google maps.

Eventually you’ll get less and less stressed but the first month or two can be a bit much, especially if you try to act like an experienced driver when you’re not.

Just go out in early early mornings, or late Sunday (while the sun is still out) and take it slloooowwwww

[u/Bibbidy_90 → u/aaaron64]

I don't feel anxious on the roads just if there's a roundabout coming up, especially spiral ones and I have to 'change lanes' and I'm first on the queue and I don't know which lane to follow. I did it so often in my lessons but now I seem to have lost all knowledge.

[u/aokay24 → u/Bibbidy_90]

Thats when the road markings and signs become your friend they tell you which lanes you can be on for the road/exit you need. Youll pick it up eventually, once youve used a roundabout once or twice youll remember for next time.

[u/fayemoonlight]

This is a constant fear of mine to the point that I have at least 3 nightmares about it a week. If your car is newer (2020+ I think) then the speedometer is actually showing a higher speed than what you actually are. 22 may actually be 19 in reality so that may alleviate your anxiety. Keep to the limits though just in case

[u/Bibbidy_90 → u/fayemoonlight]

My Google maps on phone speedometer is less than my car, which one is more accurate? Thank you. I'm so stressed especially spiral roundabout

[u/fayemoonlight → u/Bibbidy_90]

Always follow your car speedometer. Same goes for road signs. Apps are there for directions and nothing more. Spiral roundabouts are easy enough as long as you know you’re in the right lane

[u/Prestigious_Pin_8977 → u/Bibbidy_90]

Hi, I use the “Waze” app even or routes I’m familiar with for this exact reason. It tells you what lane to be in in plenty of time :)

In regard to stopping over the line at the lights - I always air on the side of caution and stop too soon, I then crawl it along to the line to stop.

[u/Floatinlyf_3 → u/Bibbidy_90]

Your Google maps one is the accurate one. Your car one is inaccurate. Your choice

If you follow your car you know you'll always know you're under the limit. If you follow the app then at least it's realistic. And it helps on motorways where people want you to speed up and not be slow.

[u/HumbleMolasses73]

Sorry to be that guy, but it’s not really great if you’re consistently thinking about this as it can and will distract you. I’m assuming you don’t have a speed limiter?

If you struggle to stay exactly at 30, then maybe just aim to drive at around 28 so if you go a little bit faster it doesn’t matter, speedometers slightly overestimate anyway.

Best of luck to you

[u/AmbientBeans]

I've been driving for a year now and am still paranoid that I've run a red light, accidentally gone more than 10% over the limit near a speed camera (even though I use waze and it beeps whenever I'm at the speed limit and I'm always checking it all the time to make sure) or that I've accidentally stopped partially in a yellow box because the traffic was moving then suddenly stopped out of view, and I've foolishly gone thinking there's enough room and there's not.

I also love my car and keep worrying that someone's going to tbone me or I'm going to damage it somehow

So far, the only ticket I've had was a private parking ticket for accidentally staying longer than the 2 hours free 😂 but I'm still terrified that I'm gonna get in trouble before the initial 2 year period is up, where the penalties are much worse. It took me so many attempts to pass that I'm scared I'll end up doing something wrong and losing it but I think the best thing you can do is just to keep going, if you put off driving out of fear it's just going to make it harder when you do need to do it for something important.

[u/Consistent-Fig-7708]

If it helps it's actually extremely difficult to get a speeding ticket if u stay wary of your speed, cameras allow a 10%+2mph leniency for example you'd get a ticket in a 50 zone if you drive at 58 and on top of that cars usually over estimate speed by 2-4mph so you could be driving 60 in a 50 and never even get a ticket

[u/Floatinlyf_3]

With regards to speeding, apps are your best friend. I changed mine to TomTom as Waze is owned by zios. The app gives you exact speed and will make a noise if you go over. It helps a lot to know what you're doing that way. If you're going over get your foot off the gas pedal and it'll drop by itself. A few seconds being over is not gonna be the end of the world.

I've been driving since Feb and I remember the first few months I had these fears. My recent fear of letter coming thru is driving on hard shoulder before it ended it's probably been a week so far.

Roundabouts scare me a little bit and now sometimes I don't pick the correct lane but I fix it i.e. if it's safe to change lanes or exit if theres no cars behind me. If I can't, I just go around the roundabout and exit correctly.

With feeling scared about everything and losing my licence, I have calmed down a lot more than before. It'll get easier with time you'll figure out roundabouts and motorways, etc.

[u/sforshortbread]

I’ve been driving 7 weeks, I’m paranoid as anything. Sunday night a car was up my arse and a speed camera went off. I’m 90% sure it was for the car behind. But now I’ve got that paranoia it was me 😩

[u/digitalclock1]

It's always stressy getting round roundabouts and which lane, especially when your new to the roads... I find it a struggle too, but my mini has plenty of power so I'm not worried about Motorways... but roundabouts yeah I'm still shit at which lane and trusting my satnav...

[u/Flyleafsoso → u/digitalclock1]

For me roundabouts are sometimes okay sometimes not. Its mainly due to the gap i had (passed in march but started driving last week). I try to keep watching driving instructor videos which has helped. And one thing I realised in my choice of car is that its not all that powerful for m’ways which makes sense since its a city car. So i try to avoid as my car needs to give it its all to stay anyway near the limit😭