Defensive/evasive driving courses for old farts

[nebo113]

Back in the day in another state (of mind), I could drive at 14 with a learner's permit, SOLO, between dawn and dusk.   badgered my poor father to teach me to drive, sufficiently to get that damn permit.

My sister, on the other hand, had to be thrown into the auto and was such a nervous wreck that parental units finally turned her over to a driving school....back in the day before drivers ed was heaped upon public schools.

Sooooo  now, some 50+ odd years later, sister will not drive on interstates and that has become.....problematic.

Therefore, I'm poking around to find a driving school for an old fart (yes, I am one, also, so can use that term).

My dear sibling, whom I love dearly, needs to gain confidence with driving outside her comfort zone, a zone which does not include interstate, high speed driving.  That she is deaf in one ear and has a hearing aid in the other affects her willingness to drive outside the zone, not that I can blame her.

However, she's feisty, smart, athletic.....

I don't know how to begin to investigate driving schools.  Don't know the terms to google.  Money isn't an issue.  Mother (age 93) and I will stick her husband with the tab.

And, when presented with the idea, she's feisty enough to look at her dear mother and loving sister and say......very bad words.

Any suggestions as to search terms and evaluation criteria greatly appreciated.

[mamselle]

Maybe simplest would be to check out the state DMV pages online and just get a feel for whatever they say that would help you get started.

You might also want to check the qualifications for driving in her state, and check to be sure her hearing issues don't disqualify her before going to a lot of difficulty to find her a teacher and then find out she might not be license-able.

As to instruction, I had AAA and they were good. I think they also issue a certificate towards a reduction for your insurance carrier, if her state has that setup.

Maybe some work with someone who does anxiety coaching, too, if it becomes clear that her worries about her hearing are unfounded.

I started driving late, and I live in a place where you pray every time you turn the ignition on, so I do get it.

M.

[downer]

Could you clarify? Is your sister willing to do this? Doesn't she want to be part of the process of choosing an instructor?

[Anon1787]

A quick google search using driving fear, phobia, and anxiety shows some schools/programs with a therapeutic element. This site https://www.rtor.org/2019/01/22/top-10-things-about-freeway-phobia/ might be useful, which suggests that fear of highway driving is frequently a manifestation of agoraphobia.

[poiuy]

Is there a reason she must learn to drive on interstates, especially since she is reluctant to do so?

She seems to have managed for all her adult life without learning this skill - she must have developed alternate transportation strategies?

Is it not possible to manage with Uber/Lyft or taxis or similar?

[onthefringe]

Is there a reason she must learn to drive on interstates, especially since she is reluctant to do so?

She seems to have managed for all her adult life without learning this skill - she must have developed alternate transportation strategies?

Is it not possible to manage with Uber/Lyft or taxis or similar?

This — my mother will no longer drive on highways in the city, and has been known to go around the block to the right to avoid making a left turn across traffic. In practice this means she takes longer to get somewhere when she's driving by herself, and generally somebody else drives if she's driving with a group.

[downer]

The Google Maps app has an "avoid highways" preference option.