What Is Driving Anxiety?
Our cars are one of the most important tools we have for daily freedom and independence. But as private vehicles have become a way of life, one of the most common phobias has emerged alongside them: driving anxiety.
While driving is a basic, almost automatic act for most of us, there are people for whom the very thought of getting behind the wheel sends their pulse racing and triggers a paralyzing wave of fear. For some, the anxiety is so deep that it literally prevents them from driving.
According to statistics, 5 to 10 percent of the population suffers from driving anxiety at some level of intensity. The data also shows that the phobia is more common among women in midlife and among people who have been involved in a car accident, either directly or indirectly.
Driving anxiety creates a cycle of avoidance that impairs independent functioning and creates dependence on other people and external factors. In some cases, it can even hold back career development and professional advancement.
How Does Driving Anxiety Show Up?
Driving anxiety can vary from person to person. Some people fear driving in general; others specifically dread highway driving, driving at night, or driving in the dark. Some are anxious about entering intersections or about high-speed driving in general.
The anxiety may develop around specific situations:
- Driving at night
- Driving in the rain
- Highway driving
- Long-distance driving
- Driving in unfamiliar areas
It can also appear around specific driving actions:
- Fear of making turns
- Fear of changing lanes
- Fear of driving at high speed
The anxiety can strike suddenly -- either during a drive or before even starting one.
In severe cases, people may fear simply getting into a car even as a passenger, which inevitably causes significant damage to their quality of life.
Causes and Symptoms
What Causes Driving Phobia?
1. Trauma from a car accident -- In many cases, the anxiety develops as part of post-traumatic stress related to direct or indirect involvement in a traffic accident.
2. Specific phobia -- Sometimes driving anxiety resembles a specific phobia focused on a particular element of driving.
3. Panic attack while driving -- Another trigger is experiencing a severe panic attack while on the road. The person may automatically link the panic attack to driving itself, even if there is no actual connection between them.
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Start Free Mini-Course4. Agoraphobia -- People with agoraphobia may avoid driving long distances away from home.
Symptoms of Driving Anxiety
The symptoms of driving anxiety manifest across three dimensions:
Physical symptoms -- identical to those of other anxiety disorders: trembling, excessive sweating, rapid heartbeat, difficulty breathing, chest pain, confusion, and disorientation.
Cognitive symptoms -- difficulty concentrating, memory problems, and catastrophic thinking.
Behavioral symptoms -- extreme behaviors that can cause actual danger: sudden swerving, abrupt braking. People with driving anxiety also enter a cycle of avoidance.
Avoidance -- Avoidance damages quality of life and daily functioning. People with driving anxiety develop feelings of shame and embarrassment, and a burdensome dependence on others or on public transportation.
Why Driving Phobia Doesn't Go Away on Its Own
Avoidance perpetuates the fear. The more you avoid driving, the stronger the anxiety becomes over time.
Negative thoughts breed in the silence. The catastrophic scenarios that play out in your imagination amplify the feeling of fear with each passing day.
The phobia rewards avoidance. There is a theory that part of the avoidance behavior is actually reinforced -- avoiding the feared situation brings temporary relief, which makes it harder to break the pattern.
CBT Treatment for Driving Anxiety
Research has proven that CBT is the most effective treatment for anxiety disorders in general and driving anxiety in particular, with very high success rates.
The goal of treatment is to reduce anxiety and its accompanying symptoms until you can function independently and normally on the road again.
Ready for the Full Program?
The 12-week CBT-TIME course gives you the structured, professional guidance that makes self-help CBT actually work.
Explore the 12-Week CourseThe Cognitive Component
In the cognitive component, you work on analyzing the thought patterns linked directly and indirectly to your driving fear.
You examine the thoughts that serve as mental triggers for anxiety, and gradually -- through exercises and various tools -- learn to replace destructive thinking with positive, more effective thoughts.
The Behavioral Component
In the behavioral component, you receive exercises to carry out between sessions, in real-life settings, designed to gradually expose you to your various driving fears.
In addition, you learn relaxation and calming techniques to help you cope with stress in real driving situations.
Driving anxiety doesn't have to keep you stuck. If avoidance has taken away your independence, it's time to take it back. Our free mini-course teaches you the same CBT principles used to treat driving phobia -- practical tools you can start using right away, at your own pace.