My anxiety levels have been very high today

I think it is a combination of sleep deprivation

Not being happy with the current content of my blog

Doubting our decision to home school

Yet at the same time wanting to take the pressure off us all

By unschooling completely

And just enjoying being together

The days are passing too fast

(This is a whole other blog post!)

I am also very aware that the nights are drawing in

And one thing that makes me anxious

And sends me into a state of panic

Is driving in bad weather

And driving in the dark

I am not a very good driver

I think technically I am fine

Mostly

But I do not enjoy driving at the best of times

And certainly not at the worst of times

I hate driving at night

We live in rural Kent

And the roads are narrow and windy

And where we live with high hedges on the side

The lanes are full of potholes

And are frequented by enormous tractors

And massive lorries who have no business being there

I still vividly remember one autumn evening last year

Waiting for the children to finish a dance class

While watching the dark of the night descend

And the thick damp fog envelope the hall and the car park

I still recall gripping the steering wheel so tightly

Sitting on the edge of my driver’s seat

Peering out of the window

Nervous

On edge

Anxious

And scared

If you are a confident driver

You will not understand the fear

One of my worst memories of driving

Was when Matilda Mae was here

I took her and my Mum to a baby event

At night

(I would NEVER do that now!)

When we left the rain was torrential

I was trying to drive but I was terrified

I could not make out the edge of the road

I could not see the shape of it

How it twisted and turned

I was so scared

At one point I nearly mounted the path

I almost missed a motorway exit

I just could not see

At one point I had to pull over

And get myself together

There was no one to call to come and rescue me

My mum is not a calming influence at all

So the fear and panic was rising inside

I thought I might actually pass out

What got me to restart my engine and drive home

Was my tiny baby daughter in the back of the car

Knowing it was my responsiblity to keep her safe

And get her home

I drove on

Down what the children call ‘our wiggly road’

I pulled up outside our house

Burst through our front door

Collapsed in the arms of my husband

And just cried

So relieved to be home

SO relieved to be off the road

After Tilda died

I stopped driving for a long time

Too scared to get behind the wheel at all

I have since overcome that fear

I enjoy driving during the day

On roads I know

To destinations regularly frequented

But I am still nervous

Of night time and weather

And will always be terrified of torrential rain

As we head towards the end of October

And face the inevitability of the clocks

Turning back

I know that I need to prepare myself

For driving

I need to do do all I can to instil self confidence

Behind the wheel

And also know that should I have an accident on the road

My insurance is up to date

And there are other ways to claim

If I should need to

The children attend classes that they love

That will require me driving them home in the dark

And most likely through rain and through fog

Dodging pot holes is so much harder in the dark

And there are lots on our local roads

It is good to know that companies such as

Point S have a wide variety of cheap tyres on their website

In an attempt to settle my nerves

I have been scouring the internet for driving tips

Here are some of the best I have found

Driving in Bad Weather

Be Prepared
Have any equipment you might need in the car

Cloths and scrapers to clear windows and mirrors

De-icer

Jump leads

Contact number for AA or RAC

A charged mobile phone

Spare tyre and tools to change the tyre

A torch

Always Have Enough Fuel In The Tank

Slow Down

Give yourself plenty of time to act and react

Allow yourself enough travelling time that you do not try to speed up so as not to be late

Be aware of pedestrians, cyclists and horses in the road

(This is so relevant to where we live as there are not always footpaths)

Give Yourself Space

Do not get too close to the vehicle in front

You will need more time to stop in bad conditions

Give vehicles behind clear signals for your intentions

Give them time and space to react

If you have to overtake pedestrians or cyclists give them extra space

Hold Steady

Hold your steering wheel firmly

With two hands

Do not do anything other than drive

Maintain good grip of the wheel and in turn good control of the car

Light Your Way

Use your lights to help you see through the rain

Be aware of other drivers

Choose your lighting accordingly

Full beam is often unhelpful when driving in fog!

If the weather forecast is for severe weather

Drive Only If Necessary

There is absolutely no need to tell me that twice

I will be keeping my weather and night time driving events

To an absolute minimum

But when I cannot avoid hitting the roads

What would your top tip for bad weather driving be?

For more comprehensive tips for driving in all weather and conditions

Have a look here

This is a collaborative post