Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsRelated PhobiasSimple Driving PhobiaTreating Driving Phobia

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Related Phobias

Simple Driving Phobia

Treating Driving Phobia

A fear of driving is fairly common and can range from mild to severe. Some people fear only specific driving situations, such as driving in storms or on freeways, while others are afraid of simply sitting behind the wheel.

Anxieties around driving usually do not rise to the level of being a driving phobia. It is only when the fear is unreasonable and excessive, out of proportion to the danger, and leads to avoidance behaviors that a medical professional may diagnose a phobia.

At a GlanceWe all worry about having an accident, stress about parking, and get anxious about potential traffic or bad weather every now and then. These fears are completely normal, especially when you consider that thousands of people are killed in motor vehicle accidents every year. If these fears are impacting your life—whether or not you have a phobia—ask a healthcare professional if therapy may help ease your fears. Exposing yourself to driving in a safe environment, perhaps with a friend or loved one, can be a good step to making you more comfortable behind the wheel.

At a Glance

We all worry about having an accident, stress about parking, and get anxious about potential traffic or bad weather every now and then. These fears are completely normal, especially when you consider that thousands of people are killed in motor vehicle accidents every year. If these fears are impacting your life—whether or not you have a phobia—ask a healthcare professional if therapy may help ease your fears. Exposing yourself to driving in a safe environment, perhaps with a friend or loved one, can be a good step to making you more comfortable behind the wheel.

Often other phobias can be linked to the fear of driving, especially one or more of the following:

Agoraphobia

The fear of driving is commonly associated withagoraphobia.Loosely defined as thefear of being trappedwhen apanic attackoccurs, agoraphobia leads to the avoidance of situations that feel threatening. Driving is one of the primary clusters in which agoraphobia manifests. Bridges, tunnels and long deserted stretches of roadway are particularly difficult for many people with agoraphobia.

Claustrophobia

Performance Anxiety

Driving is a major responsibility. Not only must you manage your own safety, but that of your passengers and others on the road. Those who suffer from performance-related fears may be uncomfortable trusting in their own driving abilities. The fear may be heightened when passengers are present, particularly for those withsocial phobia.

Fear of Accidents

Those who suffer fromdystychiphobia, or the fear of accidents, try to avoid situations that increase the risk of physical danger. In addition, a more general risk aversion may also heighten the fear. As an inherently risky activity, driving has the potential to trigger risk-based phobias.

Fear of Travel

The fear of travel, hodophobia, encompasses fears of all forms of transportation. Many people with this phobia are comfortable driving to familiar locations but are scared to explore new destinations or routes.

A slight nervousness around authority figures is natural, but some people are genuinely terrified of any contact with authority. People with this phobia are often afraid when driving around police cars, fire trucks or ambulances. You might also be reluctant to negotiate unfamiliar traffic lights, roundabouts and other traffic situations for fear of doing something wrong.

Some driving phobias lack a clear cause, or may be tied to an anxiety disorder. Some people find that their fear develops suddenly, after years of successful driving experience. Others simply never have the desire to learn to drive. Fortunately, it is not necessary to find thecausein order to treat the phobia.

It is always best to seek professional treatment for any driving phobia to ensure that another condition, such as agoraphobia or claustrophobia, is not present. Left untreated, even a relatively mild driving phobia may worsen over time.

Treatment options for a simple driving phobia run the gamut from individual therapy sessions to seminars, group exposure sessions andpsycho-educationalclasses. Exposure therapy may be a particularly good way to overcome this phobia.Some people find that working with a private driving instructor is a helpful complement to mental health treatment solutions.

If a friend or loved one is dealing with this fear, it’s important not to shame them, claim how easy it is to drive, or force them to take the wheel if they aren’t comfortable with it.

The fear of driving can have a major impact on virtually all areas of your life. With professional assistance and hard work, however, there is no reason to become a prisoner to your fear.

3 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Johns Hopkins Medicine.Agoraphobia.American Academy of Family Physicians.Post-traumatic stress after a traffic accident.Costa RTD, Carvalho MR, Ribeiro P, Nardi AE.Virtual reality exposure therapy for fear of driving: analysis of clinical characteristics, physiological response, and sense of presence.Braz J Psychiatry. 2018;(40)2:192-199.  doi:10.1590/1516-4446-2017-2270

Johns Hopkins Medicine.Agoraphobia.

American Academy of Family Physicians.Post-traumatic stress after a traffic accident.

Costa RTD, Carvalho MR, Ribeiro P, Nardi AE.Virtual reality exposure therapy for fear of driving: analysis of clinical characteristics, physiological response, and sense of presence.Braz J Psychiatry. 2018;(40)2:192-199.  doi:10.1590/1516-4446-2017-2270

Meet Our Review Board

Share Feedback

Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?HelpfulReport an ErrorOtherSubmit

Was this page helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

What is your feedback?HelpfulReport an ErrorOtherSubmit

What is your feedback?