Younger Drivers Are More Stressed Behind The Wheel

According to statistics, air travel tends to be safer than traveling by road. That’s a difficult concept to wrap your head around, right? If you’re over the age of 34, says a new study from JW Surety Bonds, you find flying more stressful than driving. On the other hand, younger drivers, those between the ages of 25 and 34, actually find driving – whether in a Honda Civic or a Mercedes-Benz S-Class – more stressful than flying.

The last thing we’re going to do is tell you that there isn’t plenty to stress out about on the road – because it does seem like road rage, anxiety, and frustration are becoming worse. From crowded highways to traffic jams to inconsiderate drivers, there’s a lot that can go wrong out there. But, worrying about it won’t get you home any safer. So here are some tips to chill out and get your head straight when you head out on the road.

1

Go Easy On Pre-Travel Caffeine

Avoid The Jitters

A cup of coffee to wake up in the morning is fine, but when you’re drinking too much caffeine or drinking it on an empty stomach, you may invoke the opposite of the desired affect – you may start to feel less focused, have an elevated heart rate, increased anxiety, just more jittery.

Drinking coffee before eating breakfast can deplete your stored glucose, which means your body has to use other sources of energy, which can trigger cortisol, or your stress hormones. So make sure to have something to eat, let the food settle, and then drink your caffeine if you’re totally against cutting down or going decaf.

2

Declutter Your Car

The Mess Leads To Stress

Research suggests that having a clean car makes you feel more comfortable in the cabin, which in turn decreases the likelihood of you getting worked up about something while you’re driving. Clutter has been tied to higher cortisol levels, and that’s just as true in the car as it is at home. You know when you head into the kitchen and there’s a big stack of dishes that makes you not even want to fix dinner anymore? It’s the same story when your car is full of old coffee cups, stacks of paper, and junk cluttering up your cabin.

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3

Plan Your Route

Avoid Traffic, Roadworks, or High-Stress Zones

If you can, avoid driving at peak traffic hours, and if you can stay away from busy main streets and Interstates, you’ll have less traffic to deal with, which should result in less stress behind the wheel. Maybe that multi-lane highway is the only way home after work, but on days when you’re just not up for competing with rush hour traffic, it won’t do you any harm to wait it out (work expectations allowing, obviously). We’ve personally adapted office hours before for this very reason.

It’s also worth finding routes with fewer stops and no hazardous areas (think construction zones or areas known for being dangerous). There’s a school en route that backs up traffic because of pick up/drop off times? Avoid it entirely. That badly-lit stretch of road notorious for opportunistic crime? Go a different route entirely.

4

Leave Early

Don’t Head Out Planning To Race The Clock

If you can’t change your schedule to avoid peak hour, then make sure you have a buffer for if something foes wrong. According to the NHTSA, speeding killed 11,775 people in 2023, with lateness cited as a leading reason for speeding. If you can leave ten or fifteen minutes earlier than usual – if there’s a traffic jam or accident, it means you have a little leeway. It also goes a long way to allowing you to drive in a relaxed fashion, rather than being aggressive and annoyed because you’re already running late.

5

Adjust Your Diet

Seriously. Some Foods Trigger Stress Responses.

And we’re not talking about the time that dodgy convenience store lunch had your stomach churning while you were stuck in traffic…High-sugar diets have been linked to depression, anxiety, and general cognitive impairment. A bit of sugar can help you to focus, in small doses, but sugar dependency will ultimately generate more stress than it curbs. Refined carbs, like you’ll find in white flour, donuts, and pasta, can contribute to higher stress levels, as well. Dark chocolate, nuts, oranges, bananas, and seafood have all been shown to fight stress responses, so ensuring you eat a balanced diet can be beneficial on more than one front.

6

Get That Sound Checked Out

Minor Car Issues Can Lead To Major Traffic Headaches

Pre-emptive maintenance is vital for reducing on-the-road stress. Stay on top of your service schedule, and if something comes up that worries you – whether it’s a weird sound, off feeling, or odd smell – get it checked out. It’ll be one less thing to worry about while driving. This also applies to checking your tire pressure regularly, and learning how to deal with a flat tire – all of these scenarios are understandably stressful, so being prepared is the best defense should it happen.

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7

Don’t Skip The Morning Workout

Exercise Is Good For More Than Just Your Muscles

Whether you’re lifting weights at home, taking a short walk around the block, or committing to an hour-long upper-body workout at the gym, physical exercise releases beta-endorphins which help to improve your mood and reduce stress and physical discomfort throughout the day. Moderate-intensity exercises like jogging and swimming may be the most effective means of releasing beta-endorphins, but any exercise is better than no exercise.

Feeling good about your health and your body is also excellent for your mental health – and stable moods mean less likelihood of being frustrated by the little things out on the roads.

8

Drink More Water

Soda And Energy Drinks Aren’t Helping You Relax

Generally speaking, adults should drink around a gallon of water a day. Water is essential to literally every bodily function, and the National Institutes of Health has reported a direct link between hydration and your body’s stress responses. Switching out that high-sugar ‘dessert’ labeled as coffee as your morning drink with fresh water is good for you in many ways, not the least of which is to help you function properly – dehydrated bodies respond to stress badly. And yes, you can be dehydrated even if you’re chain-drinking espressos or energy drinks. Hydrate properly.

9

Deep Breathing Actually Works

Cheesy, But Functional

“Woah, take a breath, dude!” It almost feels condescending when someone says it, but deep breathing actually does help to manage stress. According to the NIH, deep breathing helps to improve cardiovascular function and slow your heart rate, and controlled breathing can support “greater parasympathetic tone.”

The NIH says that it’s critical to manage your brain’s rhythm, so it should help when your thoughts are all over the place, and you need to just slow down and focus. Breathe in for eight seconds, then breathe out for eight seconds, and see if that doesn’t help ease your neck and shoulder muscle tightness right away.

10

Pull Over

Take A Break When It Gets Too Much

Sometimes all you can do is remove yourself from a stressful situation. If you see a safe place to pull over, a parking lot, a rest stop, just get off the road and take a moment to chill out. Wherever you’re headed, it’ll still be there after a ten or twenty-minute stop to calm down and collect your thoughts. Change your scenery, sip some water, blast the air conditioning, and wait for your nerves to settle down.

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Remember that your body is a machine, just like your car. You wouldn’t hop in your car and put the pedal to the metal while it’s overheating. Treat yourself with the same respect and allow yourself to take a time out when necessary.

Sources: JW Surety Bonds, NIH, NHTSA, IIHS.