West Virginia University study examines common triggers for anxious driving

West Virginia University researchers say driving anxiety, one of the most common phobias, is triggered by a variety of circumstances that can lead to panic attacks and an avoidance of the open road during the summer traveling season and at other times of the year.

Toni Rudisill, associate professor in the WVU School of Public Health Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, and Jacob Greenfield, assistant professor in the WVU School of Medicine Department of Occupational Therapy, are available to discuss their recent study examining common triggers for anxious driving and how different drivers try to cope.

Quotes:

"We found that people typically do three things to manage their driving anxiety. First, they will distract themselves from their anxiety any way that they can. They might chew gum, pray, or sing loudly. The second thing people typically do is rely on others. They might drive with someone they trust, or they may have someone else drive them. The last thing is avoidance. If people get overwhelmed by traffic, they might only drive at certain times of the day. Or in the worst case, the individuals will not drive at all, which limits their ability to engage or interact with others. 

"Over time these coping strategies can become problematic from both traffic safety and mental health standpoints. Drivers can become too distracted, leading to driving errors. Likewise, avoidance and reliance on others can cause people to stop or cut back on their driving, which can impact their personal lives and responsibilities." - Toni Rudisill, associate professor, WVU School of Public Health Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics

"Driving anxiety is fairly common. Some individuals have specific phobias surrounding driving. Others are anxious in general, and driving amplifies their underlying anxiety. These phenomena can impact drivers of any age.

"Some people get very anxious about driving conditions such as inclement weather, heavy traffic, and encountering lots of traffic lights or signs. Others get very anxious because they feel like they can't control other drivers or what's going on around them. There are also environmental triggers such as highways, bridges, tunnels, and windy roads.

"Some people like to feel in control of their driving environment and have very ritualistic behaviors. They may only drive certain routes and will not deviate from them. When their typical route is impacted by an accident or roadwork and they are forced to take a different route, the unfamiliarity of the route can be an anxiety trigger." - Jacob Greenfield, assistant professor, WVU School of Medicine Department of Occupational Therapy