26 years old, got license a few months ago...

26 years old? Dude you're gonna regret starting to drive and being an adult at such a late age. You only have one life. God DAMN

The only way is to drive every day. I started driving late too. Got my G2 at 25. You just need to go out and do it. When I started driving on my own I'd stall the car, I'd get honked at, assholes would road rage at me for following the speed limit in a 40 kmh zone, I was scared of making lane changes for the longest time... but my job was so far away that it was a choice between spending three to four hours a day on public transit or driving. Driving has given me so much freedom. I don't have to worry about being late for the bus, I don't have to worry about delays, and I can finally go where all the "big sales" are. I can go out of town to the fabled "good" businesses that don't rip you off. Hell, I can finally travel around North America if I want to.

The only way to "overcome" your fear is to jump right in. You're never going to get used to driving or improve your skills without lots and lots of practice.

because i am a fucking autist

>tfw waited till I was 24 to get my license because I could use public transit to get anywhere in my town
>tfw I think of all the cars I missed out on having the chance to buy before they became rare or expensive
This. I was terrified of driving stick in rush hour traffic, until I just went and did it. There was some humiliation for the first week but I got gud. Anyone can do it.

>>tfw waited till I was 24 to get my license because I could use public transit to get anywhere in my town

OP here that happened to me as well. i am in the bay area california and people trash the subway here but it isnt terrible and goes to a decent number of places including a stop in my town

>fine in high school
>go to college, huge bicycling school + free local transit, etc
>move home because im an autist use transit to get right to my work

now ill get a car and likely never use it due to autism

Realize that there are millions of people that are ten years younger than you that aren't scared to drive and stop being a pussy

i guess ive just had this idea that people are great at driving right from the start and that im a retard for not

Same here OP, and I live in a huge faggot city with a shit ton of traffic and fucked up roads. I'm saving up for my first car right now.

I didn't get my license until I was 22.
My dad just never took me to get my license; he never took me driving, either. Luckily my uncle taught me to drive when I was younger, so I wasn't completely hopeless.

A state over isn't much in the east coast, and it's potentially a two day trip in the west. Need a better game plan than that.

OP here, my parents never took me driving. they werent gonna let me get my license till i was 18 then when i turned 18 they wouldnt help

then my mom had this old toyota she stopped driving that she said she was gonna fix up and give me to learn with and she never did that either, so i just kept delaying and delaying it mostly out of my own embarrassment

Nah dude, it’s a practiced skill. Get out there and drive and you’ll get used to it.

It was difficult overcoming the thought of traveling at a high rate of speed, with opposing traffic only 1-2 feet from you going +80.

Then I stopped caring about whether or not I died, and my driving improved quite a bit.
Seriously though I think I have clinical depression.

yeah i feel the same way

I got my licence after I got married.

Practice. After a few months you'll think you're a good driver. You aren't. After a few years you'll think by now you're an amazing driver. You aren't. But just practice bro, and always realize you're absolute dog shit and never drive passed your skill level.

26 years old isnt to late bro stop saying bullshit. If you live in USA maby it will look a bit retarded but hes still 26. I live in Holland. Im 24 and im taking lessons. We dont really need a car here because trams get you everywere here, but im done with that i want my damn car.

you can buy an absolute piece of shit automatic for $600 nowadays in working-just-enough condition. instead of spending money on makeup, go buy a shitbox and drive it in a parking lot.

Just like everyone else is saying, just get a shitbox and start driving. If you can, start out on some desolate rural roads. If you have a large yard, drive around it and you can practice driving in skid situations so you get prepared for situations where you lose traction. It also gives you a good way to practice a clutch without worrying about other drivers.

My advice is probably shit though. Grew up with go carts, dirt bikes, and 4 wheelers. I was driving around my own car at 14. If you're just getting your license at 26, you probably don't live in an area you can do this stuff.

Practice, and get someone in the car with you on initial runs.
>first, try abandoned parking lots or something just for the feel of the car and acceleration/deceleration
>then, do light residential streets
>rural roads are good too
>crowded freeways are the last step

[spoiler]It took me four years to solo a road trip to Houston and the freeways there[/spoiler]

its not that i have zero experience driving that i need to practice empty parking lots. i took 4 lessons with a driving school and the instructor told me i'm a good driver, i went on the freeway with no problems, got barely any marks down on my driving test. it's just that im worried about being in the car alone

although i would need to practice parallel parking (no experience with this) and pulling into parking sports in an empty lot (even though i did parking a few times with no problems and got perfectly in the lines every time)

make short, small journeys out of your driveway everday until you gain experience points.
pracitce pulling out of your driveway and back in again.
then try driving around the block
then drive around two blocks
then drive 4 blocks from your house and back again
little by little. this is how you level up slowly

i guess practice is all i can do

I feel that br/o/

OP here , I have an update to my post and I need some help

>see the perfect car i wanted as my first car (old older toyota or honda, cheap, easy to drive) in front of store in town for sale
>2005 honda civic LX, original owner, 105,000 miles, $3,200 on sticker
>owner is taking it to the mechanic tomorrow, I guess to get a status report or whatever (thought i would have to do this with him, this is a plus)

What kinds of things should be in this mechanic's report that I need to look at? I am going to assume that since the person is selling it at 105k miles, it will probably need the timing belt changed by me.

>tfw I was expecting my father to help me, but when i told him the car i was looking at all he did was tell me how dumb it would be to buy a car from a private seller at that age and mileage and wouldn't even offer to assist getting a mechanic to check it, test drive, etc... so I'm going to have to use my mom instead

Just drive with a friend in your passenger seat. You'll feel a little more confident with someone with you in the car. Eventually you'll have the confidence to drive on your own.

"3k civic"
unironically

Waited till i was 20, didn't get it at 16 cause i knew i wouldn't have a car for a few years.

Go on a late night touge. Not a lot of traffic and you see incoming cars. Just look out for deer.

Awe dude you're fucked m8

my first word was car, so i cant relate

Atarax

try to find a big huge empty parking lot.
and go there to practice using the controls (steering, accelerator, brakes.)
drive back and forth up and down the aisles between the parking rows, pretending there are cars everywhere.
drive up to speed of 25 mph and jam on the brakes to see how they feel and respond to different braking inputs, fast hard braking, slow gradual braking.
do this over and over to get familiar and comfortable with how fast your car starts and stops.
then practice turning, driving around and around in between parking strips. then practice parking, pulling in and out of parking spaces from different angles and directions

big empty parking lots are great for this if you can find one nearby where you live

why is that

Find a back road with little to no traffic and also vacant parking lots. I race a lot so this was where I went to learn new things and practice

why are so many wh*te people mentally ill?

You are supposed to get the mechanic not the other way around. He might delete some shit off the OBD.

i never even broufht up a machanic, he said he was taking it to one. do you think it would affect the sale if i wanted to take it to one even after he does, like it would make him thik i think hes not trstworthy nd wouldnt even sell it to me

Namefags aren't much better.

Kick the tire, tell him you don't like it and then offer $2500.

buy a honda civic and don’t pay more than 3k

No, I think you are overthinking it. The other party's priority is to sell the car, it is highly unlikely he would decide to not take your money because you want to make sure the car is in good condition. You should take it to your own mechanic because the other party could easily lie about what the mechanic says or puts in the report and you have no proof of what is the truth.

>can't drive because muh autism

This autistic son of a bitch is driving super shitty shitboxes and basically you are fucking stupid.

Don't use your 'tism as an excuse if even this faggot manages to drive across states.

Why are subhumans so careless?