Why am I so afraid of driving?

POPULAR PRESS
AUTHORS: Fox, S.
PUBLICATION: The Times (London), 1999.

SUMMARY: A journalist account of suffering from spontaneous driving anxiety and seeking help for it.

"...I was horrified at how out of proportion my fears had become."

"It was a relief to sit with Professor Ehlers who, without be judgmental, was able to explain what happened to me."

"Professor Ehler divides driving phobics into three categories. Post-traumic stress disorder follows an accident ... another group .. suffer from panic disorder ... someone with a driving phobia."

"Professor Ehlers ... "I would hope that your anxiety could be dealt with in 12 to 15 sessions...."
MY THOUGHTS: So this article neither explains what causes the anxiety, nor goes even as far as beginning to treat it.

TAKE HOME MESSAGE: Why call an article "why am I so scared of driving?" and then not provide any kind of answer? A phobia diagnosis describes that you are afraid--it does not explain why.

Psychosocial sequelae of motor vehicle collisions: a follow-up study

AUTHORS: Vingilis E, Larkin E, Stoduto G, Parkinson-Heyes A, McLellan B.
JOURNAL: Accident; Analysis and Prevention, 1996

ABSTRACT: One-hundred-and-forty-nine motor vehicle collision trauma victims were interviewed one year after discharge from a Regional Trauma Unit. Follow-up data indicated major post trauma problems such depression, anxiety, family stress, financial problems and driving fears. Almost 40% reported drinking driving after the crash with a greater proportion of alcohol (blood alcohol content) positive drivers engaging in drinking driving than blood alcohol content negative drivers. Notably, almost 16% of the blood alcohol content positive and 13% of the blood alcohol content negative reported involvement in another crash in the year since discharge.. [Abstract here; Keywords: Canada; Trauma; Motor vehicle injuries; Alcohol; Sequelae; Psychosocial ]

SUMMARY: A Canadian study of 149 people who suffered injuries (requiring hospital treatment) from a car crash found that 25-50% had post-traumatic problems as a result. One third experienced driving anxiety and 1/4 fear of cars. After one year 16% had not resumed driving. Driving who had no blood alcohol at the time of their crash were more likely to develop fear of driving and take longer to resume driving.

MY THOUGHTS: The consequences of traumatic crashes are often diverse and serious, often including severe driving anxiety.

TAKE HOME MESSAGE: It seems driving anxiety is a relatively common result of a driving accident resulting in trauma. Although it is not clear what proportion of people suffering from driving anxiety develop it as a result of a crash.

Phobic drivers go to class to learn mastery of fear

POPULAR PRESS
AUTHOR: Glenn Ruffenach
PUBLICATION: The Wall Street Journal, 1990

ABSTRACT: N/A.

SUMMARY: A journalist account of Charles Melville's group treatment course for driving anxiety. Interesting quotes:

"Fears links to driving may be the most common."

"Heredity seems to be part of the problem, but no one is immune...."

"Most of the nine seated around Mr. Melville had their first attach while driving. It occurred for no apparent reason."

"Mr. Melville ... says such attacks are often an "accumulation of life stresses"."

The treatment seems to be primarily systematic desensitization.

MY THOUGHTS: If driving anxiety has genetic (biological) input, occurred spontaneously (no initiating assocation with an unconditioned stressor), and in response to generalised stress (operant conditioning?)--why is the treatment based on the idea of Pavlovian conditioning?

TAKE HOME MESSAGE: The article concentrates on one participant who recovered fully... but what happened to the other nine? This is why I generally focus on peer-reviewed scientific reports.

What does driving and riding avoidance scale (DRAS) measure?

AUTHORS: Taylor JE & Sullman MJM
JOURNAL: Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 2008

ABSTRACT: Driving anxiety can have a significant impact on everyday functioning and usually results in some kind of avoidance behaviour. The Driving and Riding Avoidance Scale (DRAS; Stewart, A. E., & St. Peter, C. C. (2004). Driving and riding avoidance following motor vehicle crashes in a non-clinical sample: psychometric properties of a new measure. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 42, 859–879) shows promise in the self-report assessment of the degree of such avoidance. The present study investigated the psychometric properties of the DRAS in a sample of 301 university students. Internal consistency for the DRAS was 0.89 and temporal stability over two months was 0.71. The factor structure of the DRAS supported the use of the general and traffic avoidance subscales but not the weather and riding avoidance subscales in the present non-clinical sample. However, a significant limitation of the DRAS is that it does not assess the reasons for driving avoidance, and is therefore not a measure of avoidance that is due to driving anxiety. Some items may be rated highly for practical reasons, such as avoidance because of increasing fuel and other costs associated with driving. Modified instructions for the DRAS should ensure that it measures anxiety-related avoidance behaviour. [Abstract here; Keywords: Driving and Riding Avoidance Scale; Avoidance; Measurement; Assessment]

SUMMARY: The DRAS is a twenty question survey taken by people with driving anxiety which is intended to measure how much they avoid driving or riding in cars. However surveys depend on people reporting accurately. This study of undergraduates (mean age 24 years). There was no effect of gender. The test was administered twice, two-months apart, and results changed significantly over this time. The participants showed low level of avoidance.

MY THOUGHTS: Undergraduates may be the most studies subject other than the albino rat, but that has more to do with convenience than validity. DRAS can be used equally with a history of motor vehicle crash experience or not--but may also respond to cause other than driving anxiety. But this is basically yet another study concluding that there is a need for more studies.

TAKE HOME MESSAGE: In a practical sense, limited.

J TAYLOR, M SULLMAN (2008). What does the Driving and Riding Avoidance Scale (DRAS) measure? Journal of Anxiety Disorders DOI: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2008.10.006

Young drivers: the driving behaviour of men and women

AUTHORS: Gylfason HM, Porisdottir R & Peerson M

ABSTRACT: None. [Full text available here (pdf)]

SUMMARY: A survey of 1782 Icelandic students at the high school and undergraduate level. There was a broad focus but in relation to driving anxiety the findings were that females had a lower "willingness to drive" and scored higher of a driving anxiety scale with questions such as "I avoid driving routes with access lanes into streets with fast traffic". Women also scored lower on a joyriding scale. Despite these reported difference young men and women drive at similar speeds.

MY THOUGHTS: This really just confirms that driving anxiety is higher in women not only as a severe condition, but in milder forms.

TAKE HOME MESSAGE: None.

Measuring emotions in traffic

AUTHORS: Mesken, J.
CONFERENCE: Towards Safer Road Traffic in Southern Europe, 2002

ABSTRACT: In this paper, three categories of methods to measure emotions are reviewed and possible applications for traffic research are discussed. Of the three measurement categories - overt behaviour, physiological measures and self-reported behaviour - examples are given of past use of these measures in traffic research. Also, implications for further research are discussed. [Full text available here (pdf)]

SUMMARY: This paper discusses the measurement of driver emotion.

MY THOUGHTS: This paper discusses how very little is known about how to measure, and so understand, the emotions of the drivers. The interactions between emotion, motivation and action are discussed. Many subjects were covered but elements relating to driving anxiety, in brief, are:
* Emotions can negatively effect driving behaviors. Specifically: "anxiety narrows attentional focus." Driving is a complex task and overly narrowed focus can be dangerous.
* However, positive moods can be equally dangerous as they increase risk taking.
* Therefore it is important to measure both the emotions and the performance of the task (driving).
* There are various types of measurement that can be taken to appreciate the emotion of a driver, including: behavior, physiology and spoken reports. In general it is a good idea to take at least two measures and where possible more when trying to understand a driving situation.

TAKE HOME MESSAGE: In many cases where driving anxiety is being treated the potential for impaired ability and so legitimate danger during driving seems to be overlooked, and there is a tendency to rely exclusively in verbal report as a measure. This report is a useful reminder to step back to try to capture more about the situation in order to understand it better.

Mesken, J. (2002). Measuring emotion in traffic ESF Congress: 'Towards Safer Road Traffic in Southern Europe'