DRIVING WITH STRESS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

DRIVING WITH STRESS - Essay Example Of course driving while stressed (and the stress does not just have to be from the traffic) has a lot of psychological factors and implications involved. This is what is often labelled as traffic psychology .The study of this area allows us to explain our driving reactions and behaviours more rationally .When we are driving the vehicle becomes an extension of our body and our thoughts and frustrations start leaking out in the way we operate the vehicle. For example using the car horn constantly and driving the steering wheel aggressively mean that there is some pent up anger or stress with in our minds and bodies. Trying to overtake other people's cars may mean that deep inside we are resenting the stress in some other part of our lives where there is possible we resent being dominated. "Perceived control was a significant negative predictor of state driver stress in high traffic congestion, and it approached significance as a negative predictor of state stress in the low congestion condition. Occupational stress only predicted state driver stress in low traffic. ... No gender differences in state driver stress were found."3 As humans we react differently to different social situations and then develop explanations for their actions and reactions. Every time we are faced with a decision or any kind of an encounter or interaction the mind starts adopting itself to our situation and thus we suffer from stress from new situations which our brain is not programmed to process. Driving stress is one of the reasons for such lapses in the programmed line of thought when an intervening act like the incidental cues we need to pick up in traffic challenge us. There are a number of factors which may define the reasons for our reactions in times of stress. Stress is dangerous for drivers as it may kill or cause accidents or further bodily disorders. What is necessary for the drivers is to use coping strategies to eliminate or counter "driver stress". What is "Driver stress" then Driver stress is defined by increased "aggression and alertness, a dislike of driving, and frustration and irritation elicited by interaction with other road-users, in particular in relation to overtaking. It is associated with life stresses and health and emotional problems and affects the driver's road safety."4 According to academics an analysis of the reasons for fatigue and stress amongst drivers reveals that there are multiple factors like the distance travelled, or sleeping disorders, worry and emotional stress, related to work or to life events; or road rage5. Psychological and medical analysts suggest that stress is not always a product of fatigue and the two are very much different. It also has to be noted is that stress is not always brought on