Emotions

Feelings.

It is natural for us to attach meaning and feelings to things we do. Strong emotions such as fear and anger can affect the way we perceive and process information. Therefore, emotions can — and do — affect the way we drive. Studies have shown the most critical factor in driver performance, regardless of training, is an individual’s self-awareness and ability to interact with other people.

Causes.

Many situations lead a driver to become emotionally stressed. A person who has just received news of a serious  illness or death of a close friend or family member may be to upset to operate a vehicle safely. What about the person who has an argument, jumps into a vehicle, and drives off, or the person who is excited or disappointed at the end of a closely played ball game? It may be easy to lose control of our emotions under such circumstances. You also can become frustrated or impatient when you wait in long lines of traffic or follow a slowly moving vehicle along a winding roadway.

Effects of emotions.

When emotionally upset, a driver’s typical response to common traffic situations can change. Strong emotions affect our ability to think, reason and make decisions. The upset or emotionally charged driver may look directly at a traffic light or stop sign and drive through it. That same person also may follow too closely and pass on hills or curves. Emotions can draw a driver’s attention away from driving, reduce concentration on the roadway and impair the ability to process information and take necessary actions. While positive emotions, like feeling overly happy and excited, can certainly cause impairment, negative emotions such as anger and frustration may affect driving safety to an even greater degree.

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