The horror! Childhood memories haunt 44-year-old non-driver

At 44 years old, Oliver admits he does not have a driver's licence - and has no intention of getting one, because he is fearful of driving. When he was younger, Oliver said, he witnessed a number of fatal crashes and the images are still fresh in his memory.

"When I was about nine years old, I lived close to Spanish Town Road, near Trench Town, and saw a lot of accidents. Me see a man head cut off and mi see people get lick off a bike all the while," he said. In graphic detail, Oliver recounted "one time me see a man head drop down into him neck and the car flipped over on the top".

So, when the time came for him to learn to drive, he did not actually get on the road by himself. "It reach a point where mi do a lot of lessons, whole heap, but just stop because me feel like mi ago lick down somebody," he said.

Peter, on the other hand, has a driver's licence but has never driven a motor vehicle on the road by himself. And he does not think he will do so anytime soon, because he is too afraid.

He is 43 years old and only got his licence five years ago because his fiancée (at the time) and brother encouraged him to do so. "I was nervous at first, but I got encouragement from my brother and I started driving around the block. But I'm afraid of the main road, especially of trucks. I don't like seeing trucks on the road," he said. He has thought about getting treatment for the fear, but has not done so.

The website www.calmclinic.com gives tips for reducing driving fear and provides a free anxiety test. The steps in building up driving courage are to face the fear, don't add to the anxiety by not driving within the regulations, drive in safe/slow areas and practise mindfulness, ie, control your thoughts and emotions.