Not only do many people get stressed by driving the car itself, but also get into the car with a lot of aggression. At best, you should always avoid driving when you are stressed to minimize the risk of an accident.
Stress when driving a car often leads to accidents, as negative emotions can have a significant impact on driving style. Accordingly, stressed drivers often drive too fast, which often leads to rear-end collisions. Here’s what you can do to reduce stress while driving.
De-stress before driving
For example, if you’re having trouble at work and you’re heading home, chances are you’re feeling tense as soon as you get behind the wheel. The same applies if you set off to work a little late in the morning and are under time pressure. If a tricky traffic situation then arises, it is likely that you will transfer your stress to the driving and other road users. The cyclist ahead of you or the traffic jam just before the destination are then welcome targets to project your own anger onto. You should therefore always drive as balanced as possible in order to avoid unnecessary stress and accidents. Allow enough time for the distances you need to travel and judge your mood for yourself.
How to get rid of stress at the wheel
Of course there are situations in which it seems as if there is no alternative to driving a car, despite the stress. In such moments, there are techniques you can use to calm yourself down so as not to transfer personal stress to the traffic situation. Take deep breaths, listen to music that has a relaxing effect on you, and cruise at a leisurely pace. Be patient with other road users and get used to a more defensive driving style when driving – this way you can minimize the risk of unnecessary accidents, which would only have increased your stress level even further anyway.
