5 Tips for Taming Driving Anxiety
Feeling overwhelmed when you get behind the wheel?
Driving is a huge source of anxiety for many people.
While there are few stats available, one study found that 52% of people surveyed reported mild driving anxiety. And 16% described having moderate to severe driving anxiety.
Driving is a big part of the day-to-day routine for many people, whether that’s commuting to work, picking up groceries, taking kids to after-school activities, or visiting family and friends. So driving anxiety can take a huge toll on one’s life.
What is Driving Anxiety?
Driving anxiety can range from mild nervousness to intense panic before, during, or after driving.
Some people experience anxiety about driving in general, while others struggle with specific situations, like driving in the dark, on the highway, over bridges or through tunnels, or when it’s raining or snowing.
Driving anxiety can increase after a car accident, but many people experience driving-related fears without any history of traumatic events.
Thoughts
Driving anxiety typically involves intense worries and fears, especially worries about what could go wrong:
What if I cause an accident? What if I hurt someone?
What if I get lost? What if my car breaks down?
What if I make another driver angry and they do something aggressive?
What if there are people around when I’m parking and I embarrass myself?
People living with driving anxiety tend to overestimate the risk of these worst-case scenarios happening. And find it difficult to control their worries about driving.
Physical symptoms
Driving can spark physical symptoms of anxiety, like shortness of breath, racing heart rate, shaking, sweating, restlessness, muscle tension, dizziness, headaches, and nausea.
These symptoms can feed back into anxious thoughts, as many people living with driving anxiety worry about what could happen if they have a panic attack while they’re on the road.
Behaviours
Driving anxiety can also impact our behaviour both inside and outside the car.
People may feel like they need to plan exhaustively for every drive, like reviewing their route over and over before they go.
They might change their driving style, like driving well below the speed limit, leaving more room than needed between cars, or checking their mirrors constantly.
Some people get stuck repeating past drives in their mind, trying to remember if they did anything wrong. Or beating themselves up over even the smallest mistakes.
People experiencing driving anxiety may ask for reassurance from others, seeking confirmation that things are safe.
Irritability and aggressiveness, even road rage, can also be responses to driving anxiety.
Some people start to avoid certain driving situations. Maybe they’re comfortable driving in the city, but stop going anywhere on the highway. Perhaps they adjust their work schedule so they don’t have to drive during rush hour.
And some stop people driving altogether, instead relying on rides from others, public transportation, or staying at home whenever possible.
If driving anxiety is interfering with your life, keep reading for concrete tips for getting more comfortable behind the wheel.
5 Tips for Overcoming Driving Anxiety
Notice and name your worries
Pay attention to the thoughts that go through your mind about driving.
Driving anxiety is often fueled by fears about worst-case scenarios. Maybe you’re picturing yourself causing a collision or getting seriously injured every time you drive.
Our brains try to protect us by looking out for potential risks and dangers ahead. But sometimes these thoughts are more harmful than helpful. And often they happen so automatically that we don’t even realize how they’re impacting us.
Take a moment to notice and name any thoughts that feed into driving anxiety. Focus on observing those thoughts versus trying to control them.
For example: “I notice I’m thinking about everything that could go wrong”
“There’s that mental image of a fiery crash again”
Investigate your worries
We tend to assume that our thoughts are facts. But just because we think something doesn’t mean it’s true.
Approach your thoughts with curiosity. Before reacting to them, ask some questions:
“Am I confusing possible with likely?”
Many of the things we imagine are technically possible. For example, people do get in car accidents. But anxiety tells us that negative events are much more likely to happen than they actually are.
“What happened the last time I worried about this?”
Often we worry about the same situations over and over, even though they never actually happen how we predict.
“What’s the effect of thinking this way? Are these thoughts helpful or unhelpful for me?”
Unfortunately, anxiety could cause some people to make more mistakes while driving. When we’re overwhelmed, it’s hard to focus on what’s happening around us.
At the end of the day, we don’t really know what’s going to happen on the road. We can’t control everything that occurs when we’re driving.
But we can shift our thinking if it isn’t serving us well.
Do relaxation exercises
Practicing relaxation exercises can help us calm our mind and body before, during, and after driving.
Try taking some slow, deep breaths. Scan your body and notice any areas of tension. Relax your jaw and loosen your shoulders. Observe what’s going on around you, checking in on what you can see, feel, and hear in the moment.
Focus on one step at a time
Anxiety takes us outside the present moment. With driving anxiety, we may be thinking ahead to the most challenging parts of the drive. Like wondering if we’ll be forced to parallel park when we get to our destination.
But there’s nothing we can do about those situations until we’re in them. And trying to anticipate every possible outcome only increases our anxiety.
While it’s easier said than done, try to redirect your thoughts to the next step in your drive. And only that step. Focus on getting out of your driveway. Then navigating through the first intersection.
If you notice your thoughts wandering to that busy left turn ahead, bring yourself back to the present moment.
Gradually go outside your comfort zone
This strategy is super important for overcoming driving anxiety.
We often avoid situations that make us anxious. Maybe you’ve been avoiding busy roads, going only to stores with the biggest parking lots, or letting other people drive whenever possible.
While avoiding difficult situations makes us feel better in the moment, it only makes driving even scarier over time.
If you want to build your confidence on the road, start challenging yourself in small ways.
Think of a driving task that’s just outside your comfort zone. Don’t start with the most terrifying situation you can imagine, like speeding down a multi-lane freeway during rush hour. Pick something that’s challenging but do-able.
For instance, if you only feel safe driving in your neighbourhood right now, try adding one more street to your route. Drive that extra street every day until you feel more comfortable, then add another street or two.
If you’re struggling with highway driving, you could start by driving on a small side highway early in the morning, when things are quiet. Then gradually move up to busier roads at busier times.
Keep adding small challenges over time.
This strategy teaches us that we can survive uncomfortable situations and gain confidence by facing obstacles in slow and steady ways.
About Dr. Marnie Rogers-de Jong
My goal is to help people who feel overwhelmed by anxiety and perfectionism overcome their fears and embrace their unique strengths. I’m a Registered Doctoral Psychologist with a PhD in Counselling Psychology. I offer in-person counselling in Saskatoon and video counselling across Saskatchewan and Alberta.
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“Should” Stories & Perfectionism
“Should” rules are the impossible standards and expectations that anxiety and perfectionism convince us we need to meet.
“I should be working out 5 days a week”
“I should be further along in my career”
“I should be the best partner, parent, friend, or employee out there”
“Should” rules become a problem when we:
Burn ourselves out trying to be everything to everyone
Beat ourselves up for not meeting unreasonably high standards
Focus on other people’s expectations versus what’s important to us
If you’re tired of trying to live up to so many “shoulds,” download my free worksheet. It will help you reflect on what rules you’re pushing to meet, where they come from, and how they’re affecting your well-being.
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