Driving Phobia

A phobia of driving can happen to almost anyone and is more common than you’d think. Driving is a necessary part of many people’s lives, so having this phobia may greatly impact one’s quality of life. With proper therapy and treatment, people can overcome this phobia.

Introduction

Driving anxiety is a very prevalent form of anxiety. It can range in severity; some folks have a hesitation to drive caused by anxiety, while on the other end of the spectrum, some people refuse to drive at all, in which case it becomes a driving phobia. A phobia is a fear that is paralyzing, meaning it stops a person from being able to do the activity in question.

People with a driving phobia may fear certain instances that can happen on the road, such as:

  • Being trapped in a traffic jam and unable to escape

  • Passing out at the wheel

  • Losing control of their vehicle

  • Getting into an accident

The fear of these hypothetical situations can be strong enough to keep some people off the road entirely.

Symptoms

The symptoms of a driving phobia are similar to most other phobia symptoms.

Physical symptoms:

  • Heart palpitations

  • Perspiring and sweaty palms

  • Dizziness

  • Dry mouth

  • Shortness of breath

Psychological symptoms:

  • Refusal to drive

  • Extreme panic when driving

  • Confusion or disorientation

  • Intense fear of losing control of oneself or one's vehicle on the road

A driving phobia usually starts out as driving anxiety. By avoiding driving for long periods (to avoid anxiety symptoms), people typically develop a phobia of driving.

Causes

Driving phobias can be caused by many things, but sometimes, there’s no exact cause at all. Some of the most common causes are:

  • People who experience an incident such as a car accident or "close call"

  • A lack of confidence in driving skills

  • An extension of agoraphobia (phobia of enclosed spaces)

  • Watching someone they know get into a car accident

A study by Beck and Coffey reported that 25–33% of people involved in a car accident that resulted in injuries and related evaluation in a medical setting experience subsequent fear of driving as a direct effect of the accident.

However, some people can develop a driving phobia without ever getting into an accident. This is especially true for folks with pre-existing anxiety conditions, such as agoraphobia.

Getting Help

A driving phobia can severely impact a person’s ability to hold a job, live a normal social life, and do other important activities. If left unchecked, someone may become depressed due to being unable to overcome their fears.

The good news is that with therapy and hard work, people can overcome their driving phobias. A therapist can offer a range of cognitive-behavioral therapies to change the way a person thinks about driving and give them resources to use when feeling afraid. There are also promising new therapies, which include using virtual reality to gain driving confidence.

If you or someone you love experiences driving phobia, talking with a therapist is a great first step in regaining their quality of life.

Andrea Zorbas