Physical symptoms will come on when starting a journey or en route when exposed to a particular driving situation (typically a certain kind of road). The symptoms usually stop once the driver is out of the situation, off the road or out of the car.

For some drivers these symptoms may start at a lower level some time before actually driving and persist for some time afterwards.

Typical symptoms of driving phobia will include some of the following:

Many people, of course, will respond by not even going there. They will simply avoid driving on particular roads or avoid driving completely.

Most people with a driving phobia are normal, intelligent, well-balanced people who once drove happily but are now anxious and panicky when driving or else don’t drive at all. Over the years we have treated all kinds of drivers, some with exceptional skills and experience, including police drivers and a rally driver. We have treated doctors, psychologists and psychiatrists.

So it can happen to anyone and it’s never a skills thing. In fact most people with driving phobias are good, competent drivers.

Driving phobia is very rarely caused by a traumatic or unsettling event (such as an accident) but is usually caused by something milder (like suddenly feeling a little strange when driving at speed on a multi-lane highway) which normally would be okay but at the time the individual was perhaps a lot more stressed that normal (background stress levels raised by other things like tiredness or by financial, work or relationship problems) and this tipped them into a mild panic attack. This builds into a phobia. You can read more about exactly how this happens here: Making sense of driving phobia.

So driving phobia is linked to different things for different people – to driving on wide open roads like major highways (most common), to dual carriageways, small roads, hills, high roads, bridges, flyovers, particular routes, junctions, to manoeuvres (especially overtaking), to being boxed in by heavy traffic, to being close to particular vehicles (usually large or high-sided ones), being tailgated or to being limited to a particular speed. It often starts on big highways and spreads to smaller roads, restricting the routes, speed and distances that can be travelled.

Safety and avoidance strategies are used by the sufferer to reduce the perceived danger and to control, conceal and accommodate their panic and embarrassment.

As more and more routes or situations are avoided, the sufferer’s world starts to close in. Energy and time are used in planning and driving alternative routes. They may have to drive at times when the roads are clear. Partners and friends may have to drive instead or take over en route. Excuses are made to avoid giving people lifts or traveling with friends and colleagues. Jobs, promotions and social invitations may be turned down. People and situations may be managed and manipulated.

Eventually these “solutions” become part of the problem. When this happens most sufferers think “enough is enough” and do something about it. And get help.