Effects of stress on driving: What to do to avoid risks?

Stress is a normal psychological process, which influences both physical and mental levels, and usually appear in situations that require certain levels of attention to what is done by the person. It is a phenomenon that, up to certain levels, is necessary for correct performance in certain tasks that require greater activation.

However, when stress levels exceed a person, problems begin to appear, and can cause serious consequences in various contexts, such as when driving. Among the effects of stress on driving, we can find more aggressive driving behavior, distracted driving, fatigue and even reckless driving, among others.

In this article you will find explained the phases of stress and how stress influences us when driving a vehicle.

• Related article: "Types of stress and their triggers"

What are the situations that usually cause stress?

There is a wide variety of factors and situations that can influence when generating negative stress that can seriously affect driving, some of them being the ones that we are going to comment on below, since it is convenient to take them into account before seeing what the effects of stress are on the driving.

1. work overload

It is quite common that the prolonged negative stress suffered by many people has been caused in large part by having a great overload at work, which causes job stress: the mind does not stop going back and forth from one concern to the next.

• You may be interested: "The 8 consequences of overwork: physical and mental health problems"

2. Sudden changes in life

Another factor that can favor the development of prolonged stress is that the person has suffered some sudden change in her life, such as a job change, becoming unemployed, having changed their place of residence, having suffered a breakup, the death of a loved one, etc.

3. High self-demand

People with high levels of self-demand in one or more facets of their lives they tend to lead a fast pace of life, in addition to being remarkably competitive and of having a tendency to get frustrated when things don't go as expected, so they are more prone to stress.

• Related article: "Where do psychological problems arise from self-demand?"

4. Situations that cause insecurity and/or stress at the wheel

There is a wide variety of situations that can arise while a person is driving that can cause stress: poor environmental conditions, traffic jams, driving through excessively noisy environments, driving on a road that is not in acceptable conditions for vehicular traffic, etc.

5. be learning to drive

When a person is doing internships with the driving school in order to get a driver's license or even when you just got it out and haven't gained enough experience yet, you're more likely to experience stress when steering wheel.

6. Fear of driving (amaxophobia)

There are many cases of people who have developed a phobia of driving, also known as amaxophobia. This psychological alteration may have been developed for various reasons associated with highly stressful or anxiety-generating experiences.

• You may be interested: "Amaxophobia, the irrational fear of driving"

7. Stress caused by having witnessed or suffered a traffic accident

Another cause that can cause the development of stress at the wheel it can be the fact of having witnessed a traffic accident or even surviving an accident in the past, which can also lead to the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

• Related article: "Post Traumatic Stress Disorder: causes and symptoms"

The effects of stress on driving

Next we are going to see the effects of stress on driving according to the different phases of the development of this alteration that affects people both psychologically, according to the stress theory of Hans Seley. The so-called “general adaptation syndrome” It is divided into three main phases: alarm, resistance and exhaustion.

1. Alarm reaction phase

The first phase that develops due to the effects of stress on driving is the "alarm" phase, which occurs when the body of the person who is behind the wheel of a vehicle is overloaded by various factors that we mentioned in the previous section (p. g., work overload, a situation that has caused you stress behind the wheel, etc.), so that your body needs mobilize a large amount of energy in order to be able to adapt and deal with the situation that has generated the stress.

When the body has entered the alarm phase, it must prepare itself to obtain speed and muscular strength, so that blood glucose and adrenaline levels increase, and respiration, heart rate, muscle tone, and blood pressure also increase.

In turn, the mind must be prepared to process the information that is most relevant at that moment in a more efficient way, thus focusing the focus of attention on the stressor and, in this way, some cognitive functions such as memory, attention and decision making would be seriously affected altered.

In some cases, when a driver is in this alarm phase, if the stress levels are not too high and this is not prolonged situation for too long, you could drive normally, since the body would be prepared to respond to that situation. situation.

Otherwise, it would be best to stop at the first possible place for it in order to rest a bit and start driving as soon as you feel calmer or there could even be a change of driver. If you feel overwhelmed by this stress situation, a series of negative consequences could occur that will affect driving.

Therefore, the effects of stress on driving during the alarm phase are the following:

• A more aggressive driving behavior can cause provocation to other drivers.
• impulsive and impatient reactions to the wheel that can cause driving speed to increase
• Less respect towards coexistence in traffic and also towards traffic regulations.
• Reckless behavior at the wheel, or even reckless.
• A lower perception of the risks behind the wheel when you are not in the ideal conditions to drive.

2. resistance phase

The second phase that occurs due to the effects of stress on driving develops when the driver's body is not able to stay in the previous state of alarm for longer, so that if this situation of stress continues, your body will have to maintain levels of response to the source of stress at the same time as the rest of the fundamental bodily functions for the survival.

In this stage, therefore, responses to stress continue, both physically and psychologically, although with less intensity than in the alarm phase and, as a result, causes excessive wear on the person, so that it tends to look like various health problems related to stress, such as digestive disorders or Headaches, among others.

In this second phase, the effects of stress on driving are one or more of those listed below, being similar to those of the alarm phase but with a lower intensity:

• Aggressiveness, competitiveness or even hostility behind the wheel.
• Less prudence at the wheel, being able to cause reckless behavior.
• Less respect for the rules of the road and traffic signs.
• Lower tolerance for frustration in situations with the slightest mishap or mishap at the wheel.

3. exhaustion phase

The third phase that is produced by the effects of stress on driving is that of “exhaustion”, which develops when stress lasts for a long time, causing profound tiredness in those who reach this stage.

When the exhaustion produced by stress arrives, various problems appear that will affect the quality of life of the person who suffers from them. Let's see what they are.

• Your immune system may be weakened.
• Changes may appear in the circulatory system.
• Possible muscle aches and/or migraines.
• Sleep disorders; especially insomnia.
• Digestive disorders; noting possible ulcers
• Fatigue will appear quite easily and intensely.
• Mood changes, impulsiveness, irritability, frequent forgetfulness, concentration problems, etc.

Once a person is in this phase of stress, it should be noted that will suffer a serious deterioration in terms of performance at all levels, including the ability to drive well, so it would be dangerous for you to use a vehicle in this situation. It is best to rest and not get behind the wheel until the symptoms of stress subside or least they decrease to acceptable levels that do not affect the correct performance when driving a vehicle.

In the exhaustion phase, the effects of stress on driving are the following that we are going to list:

• Decisions in this phase will be slower, so you will be more likely to make mistakes behind the wheel.

• It could even less respect the coexistence in traffic and the rules of the road.

• You will have even more difficulty concentrating behind the wheel, making it easier for you to get distracted.

• You will suffer greater fatigue at the wheel, so it would be very dangerous to travel certain distances behind the wheel.

• There is a greater chance that you will commit some reckless action behind the wheel.

• There is a greater chance that you will experience mood swings and behave aggressively.

• You may be interested: "What is impulsiveness? Its causes and effects on behavior"

Tips to combat the effects of stress when driving a vehicle

There is a series of recommendations that should be taken into account to combat the effects of stress on driving or even to avoid them. It's about these tips.

• Get into the habit of going to the destinations you want to drive to well in advance.
• Regulate the temperature to your liking of the vehicle's air conditioning.
• Stay tolerant and patient in the face of traffic jams.
• Prioritize needs and not self-impose unattainable goals.
• Plan day-to-day tasks in a structured way so that they do not pile up and cause stress.
• Acquire healthy habits in life: do relaxing activities, exercise, eat healthy, etc.
• Stay well hydrated.
• Stay focused on the road and avoid focusing on day-to-day concerns.
• Listen to relaxing music while driving.
• Be careful when consuming stimulating drinks such as coffee or tea that can worsen stress.
• Do not drive while fatigued or when sleepy.
• Leave with enough time when you take a vehicle to be able to face any unforeseen event that may arise.
• Find a rest area if someone is tired or sleepy behind the wheel.
• Have good sleep habits to avoid sleepiness and fatigue behind the wheel, as well as to be at your best.
• Take small breaks from time to time when you have a long trip to make.
• Take turns driving if you have a long trip and more than one person is available to drive.
• If you find yourself stressed behind the wheel, it's best to pull over and rest or let someone else do the driving.
• Drive slowly and do not exceed the speed limits, respecting traffic regulations.
• Try not to overtake on the road when you have a certain level of stress.