A Road Accident Has Left Me Anxious or Nervous About Driving Again
After a road accident, getting back into a car can feel completely different.
After a road accident, getting back into a car can feel completely different.
You may have driven confidently for decades and suddenly find yourself gripping the steering wheel, avoiding motorways, checking every junction repeatedly or feeling your heart race when another vehicle gets too close.
Knowing that millions of journeys happen safely does not automatically make your body feel safe. A frightening collision can change the way your brain interprets ordinary road situations.
Why can driving feel dangerous afterwards?
During a serious or frightening accident, your brain is focused on survival. Afterwards, reminders of the event can trigger the same alarm system even though the original danger has passed.
The reminder might be obvious, the junction where it happened, or surprisingly specific: rain on the windscreen, headlights behind you, the sound of braking, a particular route or being a passenger rather than the driver.
You may become hyper-alert, scanning constantly for what other drivers might do. That can make even a short journey exhausting.
Do I have PTSD?
Feeling anxious after an accident does not automatically mean you have post-traumatic stress disorder.
PTSD can develop after serious or life-threatening accidents, and symptoms can include intrusive memories or images, nightmares, avoidance, sleep problems and feeling constantly alert to danger. Diagnosis belongs with an appropriate healthcare professional.
If symptoms are persistent, severe or affecting everyday life, speak to your GP or an appropriate mental-health service rather than trying to diagnose yourself from a checklist.
Returning to driving can be gradual
If you are medically fit to drive and want to rebuild confidence, you do not necessarily have to begin with the most difficult journey.
A first step might be sitting in the parked car, then a short familiar route, quiet roads, daylight or travelling with somebody calm and supportive. You can increase the challenge as confidence returns.
The aim is not to guarantee that nothing bad can ever happen again. No road user can have that guarantee. It is to help your brain gather new experiences in which you notice risk, make decisions and complete journeys safely.
Avoid forcing yourself through a journey purely to prove that you are not frightened. Equally, very broad avoidance can sometimes allow fear to grow.
What if family members are frightened too?
A road accident can change confidence across a family.
A partner who was not even in the car may become anxious about you driving. A child who experienced the collision may become distressed in traffic. Passengers can react to braking or junctions even when the driver feels ready to move on.
Talk about what each person is experiencing rather than assuming everybody needs the same solution. Someone else’s fear does not have to dictate your recovery, but it deserves to be heard.
Counselling can help without being part of a claim
Mental-health support does not have to be arranged as litigation rehabilitation.
Counselling can provide a confidential space to process the collision, fear, anger, loss of confidence and the pressure to “get back to normal”. Depending on symptoms and clinical need, NHS Talking Therapies or trauma-focused treatment may also be appropriate.
The purpose is your wellbeing. Whether you have a compensation claim, who represents you and what happens in that claim are separate questions.
A note about driving and diagnosed PTSD
If you are diagnosed with PTSD and it affects your ability to drive safely, DVLA notification rules can apply. GOV.UK advises drivers to tell DVLA where diagnosed PTSD affects safe driving and to ask a doctor if unsure.
That is different from simply feeling nervous after an accident. If you are concerned that a health condition, medication or symptoms may affect safe driving, seek appropriate medical advice.
Important informationThis guide provides general information and is not intended to provide legal, financial, medical or other professional advice. Individual circumstances can be different. You may wish to check current information from official sources and seek advice from an appropriately qualified professional before making important decisions.