On the road, a moment’s inattention can be dangerous. Distractions are common, whether they are related to outside factors such as accidents on the road or noisy passengers in the vehicle or factors internal to the driver. Some of the most dangerous factors can be strong emotions, including emotions that are positive or negative, pleasant or unpleasant.

Strong emotions can be especially dangerous for drivers on the road but also for the people around them. Whatever the type of strong emotions, they can affect the way people drive and make a difference to the safety of everyone on the road. They can take driver’s attention off the road and make it difficult for them to see the potential dangers around them, just as any other distraction tends to do.

Most drivers know about the potential distractions of talking on cell phones or paying attention to passengers in the vehicle instead of watching the road for possible dangers. They know that drinking alcohol or taking drugs before driving can be dangerous. However, they may be less aware of how their own minds can affect their ability to drive. Strong emotions can impair drivers’ judgment and abilities just as much as any substance or other distraction.

Negative Emotions and Driving

The effects of negative emotions are possibly the most obvious. When drivers are very angry or impatient, for example, they tend to drive aggressively. They change lanes frequently and speed past slower drivers, cutting others off and honking at anyone who gets in their way. Whether they are rushing to get to an appointment or are of a naturally angry and impatient temperament, these types of drivers can cause significant problems for other road users.

When an angry or impatient driver is on the road, other drivers need to find ways of responding. This can be difficult, especially for relatively inexperienced drivers who might not know whether to slow down and pull over to let the aggressive driver pass or to follow that driver’s example and to move more quickly. Drivers can easily become confused and potentially make mistakes that they could otherwise avoid quite easily.

Road Conditions and Circumstances

Road conditions can also become problems in these situations. For example, ice or snow can also become especially hazardous if a driver must brake suddenly to avoid a vehicle operated by an angry or impatient driver. Even the clear roads of summer can potentially become dangerous, especially if bright sunlight temporarily blinds drivers. Often, the situation can become even more problematic if the actions of one driver causes others to become angry, as well.

Strong emotions can often come from the overall circumstances that a community is facing. A May 5, 2021 report from Global News indicated that a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, about half of the Canadians surveyed in an Ipsos Public Affairs poll were experiencing issues with their mental health. Depression and suicidal feelings have come from the stress of the restrictions and the uncertainty of not knowing how long the situation will last or how it will affect people’s future.

Emotions such as these tend to lead people to retreat from society rather than being out in the community, but they can still have an effect on road safety. Depression tends to dull people’s ability to respond quickly to the situations they encounter and to blind them to the possible dangers around them. Similarly, suicidal feelings can cause people to act rashly, which can be disastrous when these people are driving large and potentially deadly machines.

The Driver’s Handbook of Ontario’s Ministry of Transportation warns about several sources of possible driving distractions, including eating or drinking, grooming or reading maps and other documents. A further recommendation is to avoid emotional or complex conversations, as stress can have a negative effect on driving skills. When people are upset because of a conversation they are having, they are less likely to be able to respond calmly to what is happening around them.

Avoiding emotional conversations while driving is normally possible if drivers either pull over to the side of the road to talk or defer the conversation until later. However, the National Highway Administration website notes that stress and emotion can come from many sources, such as the end of a relationship, a bad day at work or a failure at school or university. Often, emotions of anger or frustration can cause drivers to become aggressive and to try to dominate the road.

Positive Emotions and Driving   

Often, positive emotions can have the same effects on driving as anger and other negative emotions have. Excitement about a positive development, such as the birth of a baby or a promotion at work, can make people drive faster and to take more risks behind the wheel than they otherwise would. They can be so happy about the new development in their lives that they pay little attention to the road.

Most drivers can likely recall times when they were so engaged in thinking about their day or something happening in their lives that they could not remember anything about getting from one part of their route to another. They managed to get to their destination without a major problem, but their driving was entirely automatic.

This type of situation can potentially be very dangerous. Drivers who are unaware of their surroundings because of abstraction or strong emotions are more likely to cause accidents than those who are paying close attention to the road. Whether the emotions were positive or negative, anything that occupies a driver’s mind can be hazardous.

Fear and Other Factors

Another strong emotion that can affect driving is fear. When drivers are afraid of making mistakes and of being in collisions or sliding off the road in icy or wet conditions, they can make serious mistakes and potentially endanger themselves and other people on the road. Fear can cause drivers to panic, possibly setting off a chain reaction of bad decisions that can lead to serious consequences.

Skidding is one situation in which fear leading to panic can be especially hazardous. While skidding, drivers must know which way to turn the steering wheel to direct the vehicle the right way and keep it from sliding into the ditch or crashing into a barrier or another vehicle. Staying calm is necessary in situations like these, but a fearful reaction can cause drivers to make serious mistakes.

Another danger with fearful drivers is that they can become so overcautious that they block traffic and cause accidents in that way. A driver who makes turns extremely slowly, for example, may cause other drivers to swerve around the vehicle, possibly causing an accident. Similarly, people who drive significantly under the speed limit can cause delays and blockages, possibly prompting reckless behaviour in other drivers. Although overconfidence can be dangerous, fear on the road is often no better.

A fourth factor listed on the National Highway Administration’s website is less of an emotion than a physical state, extreme exhaustion that can lead to strong emotions. Extreme exhaustion affects people differently. Some people can become frustrated and angry, while others can become giddy and almost hysterical. These emotions can affect drivers’ judgment in a variety of ways as they attempt to stay awake and operate a vehicle safely.

Dealing with Emotions

The best methods for dealing with emotions on the road can depend on the person and the situation. Drivers who tend to be impatient and angry in daily life, for example, might prefer to take a bus or a taxi rather than driving when they are exhausted. Having someone else drive after receiving either good or bad news is also a wise option, as people cannot necessarily predict what their reactions will be.

Finding ways to stay calm is important for all drivers as they face various situations on the road. Sometimes, drivers can prepare themselves by thinking through potential situations beforehand. If they know that heavy traffic makes them fearful, for example, they can practice breathing deeply and staying calm so that they will know what to do when they encounter that situation.

Drivers can also prepare in other ways. Writing down a series of steps to follow and leaving the list in a prominent place in the vehicle can help. When a situation occurs that brings out strong emotions, the drivers can then check the list, or they can practice one or two basic techniques to help them stay calm and maintain their focus on the road.

Some drivers will have a harder time than others in recognizing the effects of their emotions. While it is not a good idea to spend a large amount of time and energy on self-analysis on the road, it can be useful to take note of the situations that cause a strong emotional reaction. If slow drivers are the problem, for example, the driver might want to leave an extra ten or fifteen minutes early. If happy news is the issue, it might be a good idea for the driver to wait a few minutes to calm down before leaving.

Whatever the emotion, drivers can learn to limit the effects of positive or negative emotions on their ability to operate a vehicle. It can make an important difference for the safety of everyone on the road.