You may have walked away from a car accident without a scratch, but that doesn’t mean you’re 100% comfortable getting back behind the wheel. “An accident will affect you psychologically,” says Edward Hickling, Psy.D., co-author of After the Crash: Psychological Assessment and Treatment of Survivors of Motor Vehicle Accidents.
As a result, some drivers become more cautious on the road. Others may feel anxious when passing the site of the accident or driving in similar conditions of the incident. That’s okay. “Within a month, these normal reactions will usually start to subside,” says Kenneth Reinhard, Ph.D., a board-certified clinical psychologist. These steps can help you get your confidence back when you’re ready to get back behind the wheel.
DO write down how the accident happened from beginning to end.
Your memories may be a jumble at first, but making sense of them and putting them in chronological order will help you recover. “Writing a narrative of the accident helps people face the trauma and deal with their emotions,” Hickling explains. In his treatment approach, patients repeat this exercise until thoughts of the accident are no longer upsetting.
DON’T keep it to yourself.
DO bring another driver into the car with you the first time.
DO start out with short, undemanding drives.
DON’T avoid the crash site.
DO consider a defensive driving course.
Taking a defensive driving course may help you feel more confident behind the wheel and could save you money on your car insurance premium. See how much you could save with GEICO’s defensive driver discount.
By Caroline Hwang