Fear of Hwy Driving?

[FloridaJim57]

Who has it and how have you overcome it? Any advice welcome!

 

[Car-Guy]

Never had it myself... Good thing with all the driving I do...

I would think, don't drive aggressively and just stay in the right hand lane and go with the flow. And maybe stay off 75 in your area. It's not your fault so many folks drive extra crazy there. Just means you are sane IMO.

 

[easysurfer]

I'm a bit more afraid of going next to semi trucks than in the past.

 

[OldShooter]

One thing the pro racing schools teach (and I have been to a couple) and I have coached from time to time is the driver's eye point. Most drivers are looking too close to the car. This makes it feel like things are happening too fast, causes a lot of steering wheel movements, and is very tiring. At highway speeds we are traveling at around 100 feet per second, so looking inside that 100 feet is a waste of mental energy; you cannot react fast enough to do anything anyway.

So the prescription for that (if that is the problem) is to make a game out of trying to minimize steering wheel movements. To do this, one must move their eye point farther and farther ahead of the car, making earlier but smaller and smaller steering corrections. Infrequent and small correction are much more relaxing and make it feel like things are happening more slowly and comfortably.

A good example is driving in a lane with traffic cones on both sides. Looking well ahead it will be obvious that there is plenty of space between the lines of cones but looking close to the car makes it feel like the cones are closing in and maybe attacking.

I had an employee once who bought a sporty car that his wife initially hated because the steering felt too quick, the car was darty, and it made her nervous. A week of two of learning to look farther ahead and trying to minimize steering wheel movements solved the problem.

This eye point stuff may have nothing to do with the OP's fear of highway driving, but then it might. Some time spent trying to drive with minimum steering wheel movement should tell the tale.

 

[MC Rider]

I remember being nervous the first time I drove Lake Shore Drive in Chicago. So many cars driving close together, and curves. Yikes. But you do it you get used to it. Good thing too because Los Angeles traffic is at least as bad and I was there 35 years.


Just do it. Leave the phone alone and music off. Don't go too fast, or slow. Go with the flow, pay attention and you're good.

 

[MC Rider]

+1. Look as far ahead as possible, and not at your hood is a good idea too.

 

[RunningBum]

Are you talking busy highway driving, divided highway, or two lane highway? The last one bothers me the most, especially if lightly traveled, because sometimes I feel like the car coming at me will hit me. I've learned to focus on my lane, keeping oncoming cars only in my periphery to make sure they aren't crossing the line. There's a tendency to drive where you are looking, so don't look directly at oncoming traffic.

Heavy traffic is another issue though. I try to look as far ahead as I can so I know when the car in front of my is going to have to brake hard. Have no distractions, for sure.

 

[MC Rider]

Yes on look where you want to go.
Because that IS where you will go!
Especially on those 2 lane roads.

 

[jollystomper]

My only concern on limited access highways interstates, major state roads) are spots where I have to cross completely across 3 or more lanes in less than 2 miles on a busy highway. You try to depend on the kindess on other drivers seeing your directional signal and giving you a break, but around major cities that tends to be the exception rather than the rule.

Other than that, as long as I am well rested, I can handle things, though I will talk to myself on I-95 from New Jersey across the GW Bridge and the Cross-Bronx Expressway .

On two lane roads, which there are many in my area, the main concern with oncoming traffic is bad weather. One reason I am glad I have no need to be out and about during or after an ice or snow storm .

 

[OldShooter]

Yes on look where you want to go.
Because that IS where you will go!
Especially on those 2 lane roads.

Yes! That's the #2 thing the pro schools teach.

I am actually too focused that way. DW has to watch the ditches for deer as I'll never see them.

 

[COcheesehead]

There’s likely more anxiety based issues than just highway driving.

 

[Dash man]

DDIL avoids highways and always takes backroads to work. I have no problem with highways since I learned to drive in Los Angeles, but I hate driving in central Phildelphia. People are crazy!

 

[FIYes]

I have developed a fear of highway driving. I tend to avoid highway driving as much as possible. I used to never mind driving. I don’t know what has brought this on. Google maps has an “avoid highways” option when getting directions.

 

[Jerry1]

No problem with driving on the highway but I do have certain conditions. Mainly, I no longer drive at night. If it’s raining, I pull off even sooner than dusk. I co my best to time my travel during non-rush hours when I’m going through large cities.

In general, you have to be a little bit aggressive. I don’t like it, but when in Rome . . .

Thankfully, I no longer have the daily drive in rush hour so it’s only on trips these days. On my trips, I also try to keep the drive around 6 hours (drive time) so I don’t get too tired.

 

[m3bs]

My fear is all of the idiots on the road doing anything BUT driving. Texting, streaming, applying makeup, etc. I spend my “quality time” driving on a race track with other cars doing 140+ mph, but I have confidence that the other drivers are alert, watching the road and their mirrors, and fully understand the consequences of their actions. The drive home, on the other hand, is much more scary!

 

[Kork13]

I grew up on a small island (Guam) with speed limits mostly no higher than 35mph. When I went to college in CO, I-25 with its 75mph speed limits (and 85+ mph actual speeds) was terrifying for the first few months. It was also terrifying for the other people in my car that first time, because I was trying to merge onto the interstate at 40-45mph.

I can't say exactly how I got over it, but maybe I'll just explain it away as "exposure therapy" .... keep driving on it, and eventually it became less intimidating.

Of course, even today I still get nervous/anxious when I feel boxed in, and tend to slow down -- whether driving through a winding canyon, I get stuck surrounded by semi trucks, driving through a blizzard with poor visibility, or on a road with a steep drop-off on the shoulder. Maybe I never fully got over it?

 

[W2R]

Who has it and how have you overcome it? Any advice welcome!

I think the other drivers are driving far worse than they used to, back in the day. If I am right, then a good healthy fear is the logical response to this situation IMO.

So yes, I fear highway driving, and no, I do not even TRY to overcome it. For several years I avoided highways when possible, and tried to take other streets instead.

As of the past half year, I have the best of all possible excuses: my vision is so bad the OMV won't renew my driver's license. That's sometimes a bit inconvenient but TBH it's a relief to be able to avoid driving. Frank always drives if I need to go somewhere.

 

[aja8888]

Who has it and how have you overcome it? Any advice welcome!

Nope, drove 5,500 highway miles by myself this Spring on two trips to the East Coast and back. No problems, and at 80, I still can drive at night. Must be lucky, I guess.

 

[Slater]

You folks need to include your age in the thread when youre posting your comments in this thread....
Ive noticed my driving, discomfort, nervousness, paranoia, overly cautiousness has gotten worse while driving in various conditions, like turning / curve on bridges & turns on unfamiliar freeways at speed of flow of traffic, nervous about driving fast on freeway, its like im scared of loosing control...
Im only 50!!!!!
Use to not be this way, its like my brain is wired differently now as ive gotten older.
Wasnt always like this.
Drives me nuts when my wife is driving & im in the passenger seat when shes driving with the flow of traffic on fwy at 75'ish+ mph & takes gradual or moderate turns....
Im not crazy...

Jim, are you dealing with similar "fears"

 

[FlaGator]

Interesting responses.

I’m >60, spent years commuting and pleasure driving on the “cut and thrust” freeways in places like LA, Phoenix and Miami. Also rode a motorcycle for many miles in a few of those places. And ride one today in the less chaotic FL Panhandle.

The moto experience taught me two things:
-assume every other driver got in their car intending to kill you, so be aware of everything around you-front, back and sides.
-manage the space around you so you have an escape route. Don’t be in anyone’s blind spot, and don’t allow them to be in yours.

I am thoughtful about driving at night. Vision isn’t as good, drunks, deer, etc. Even more careful to manage my interaction with the environment and other vehicles after dusk. Generally avoid the moto at night.

The highway isn’t a concern, and it never was. Tense when I was younger, yes. Managing heavy traffic takes effort with those two guidelines, so I try to avoid high-traffic roads during peak times.

To help reduce the anxiety, remember modern cars are light years ahead in terms of safety compared to what many of us grew up with. Not a reason to feel bulletproof and drive stupid. But if the worst happens, far less likely to be seriously injured or die than 30-40 years ago. For what that’s worth.

 

[JoeWras]

My fear is all of the idiots on the road doing anything BUT driving. Texting, streaming, applying makeup, etc. I spend my “quality time” driving on a race track with other cars doing 140+ mph, but I have confidence that the other drivers are alert, watching the road and their mirrors, and fully understand the consequences of their actions. The drive home, on the other hand, is much more scary!

I probably need to stop my habit of visiting dash-cam sites. There are a lot of accidents posted, and some of it is very educational to help you increase your defensive behaviors.

However, there is a subset of these accident videos that are downright terrifying. And that's the high end rear-end collisions. Almost without exception, the cams catch the driver looking at "something" and barreling full speed into the cam-car. That something isn't always obvious, but when it is, it is a phone.

It is not our imagination, folks. Phones have made it worse out there.

 

[JBTX]

My only concern on limited access highways interstates, major state roads) are spots where I have to cross completely across 3 or more lanes in less than 2 miles on a busy highway. You try to depend on the kindess on other drivers seeing your directional signal and giving you a break, but around major cities that tends to be the exception rather than the rule.

Other than that, as long as I am well rested, I can handle things, though I will talk to myself on I-95 from New Jersey across the GW Bridge and the Cross-Bronx Expressway .

On two lane roads, which there are many in my area, the main concern with oncoming traffic is bad weather. One reason I am glad I have no need to be out and about during or after an ice or snow storm .

As someone who drives on multi lane interstates pretty much everywhere every day, the way I have always dealt with this is I am somewhat of an aggressive driver, meaning I drive faster than the average traffic. It is easier to cross multiple lanes of traffic if you are going at least as fast or faster. It is very difficult to do if you are going slower.

Same principle with on ramps. If you speed up to the speed of traffic or even a tad faster you will always be able to get in. If you on ramp slower than traffic hoping some one slows down and let’s you in that is really stressful as you have no control.

Obviously on balance the faster you drive the more dangerous it is, but there is a balance as too slow on interstates is really stressful.

Also losing some level of vision acuity makes a big difference. It lights become blurry or halo or there are dark spots at night it is tough to have the confidence to navigate those more difficult situations. My cataracts aren’t helping.

 

[JoeWras]

Same principle with on ramps. If you speed up to the speed of traffic or even a tad faster you will always be able to get in. If you on ramp slower than traffic hoping some one slows down and let’s you in that is really stressful as you have no control.

I applaud the cars that come down the ramp like a scalded rat. Good job.

I'm serious. The slow-pokes trying to merge are a severe danger to everyone. If there is one time you need to really push that accelerator, it is when merging.

Upthread I see Kork13 admitted to this habit; however, it sounds like Kork13 knew the errors of their ways and now merge at speed. I also commend them for their self awareness.

There are too many drivers out there doing dumb stuff like merging at 45 in a 75 and not being self aware and blaming everyone else for being "maniacs."

 

[EastWest Gal]

One thing the pro racing schools teach (and I have been to a couple) and I have coached from time to time is the driver's eye point. Most drivers are looking too close to the car. This makes it feel like things are happening too fast, causes a lot of steering wheel movements, and is very tiring. At highway speeds we are traveling at around 100 feet per second, so looking inside that 100 feet is a waste of mental energy; you cannot react fast enough to do anything anyway.



So the prescription for that (if that is the problem) is to make a game out of trying to minimize steering wheel movements. To do this, one must move their eye point farther and farther ahead of the car, making earlier but smaller and smaller steering corrections. Infrequent and small correction are much more relaxing and make it feel like things are happening more slowly and comfortably.



A good example is driving in a lane with traffic cones on both sides. Looking well ahead it will be obvious that there is plenty of space between the lines of cones but looking close to the car makes it feel like the cones are closing in and maybe attacking.



I had an employee once who bought a sporty car that his wife initially hated because the steering felt too quick, the car was darty, and it made her nervous. A week of two of learning to look farther ahead and trying to minimize steering wheel movements solved the problem.



This eye point stuff may have nothing to do with the OP's fear of highway driving, but then it might. Some time spent trying to drive with minimum steering wheel movement should tell the tale.

Really good points; I remember being taught that in driver’s Ed in high school.

Another issue is poor highway design, which is much more common here in the east than in California. Fortunately, there have been many highway design improvements which have reduced accidents substantially these past few years.

 

[latexman]

I am actually too focused that way. DW has to watch the ditches for deer as I'll never see them.

Animals, mainly deer, are one of my biggest fears on two lane country roads, especially at night. They have a way of changing a routine trip to the store into a sphincter tightening adventure. To counter this I run high beams as much as possible and widen my focus to continuously look from left tree line to right tree line near the far edge of my lights. Like you, I ask DW to help.