Driver Emotion

Driver impairment is not only caused by drugs and alcohol. Our driving is impaired anytime our ability to operate a vehicle is compromised. Because emotions can govern our behavior to a large extent, they too can diminish our driving capabilities. Emotional impairment can affect our ability to recognize risks and quickly react.

Here are some helpful tips to help regulate our emotions while driving.

• Do not take the aggressive actions of other drivers personally.
• Cool off when angry or frustrated.
• Don’t drive when feeling upset, frustrated, depressed or angry.
• Don’t have emotional conversations while driving.
• Stay focused on the driving task.
• Turn a negative driving situation into a positive situation.
• Demonstrate the kind of courtesy you would like to receive from others.

Safe driving requires our focus at all times. When behind the wheel, try to ‘shelve’ problems temporarily. Instead, concentrate on the driving tasks at hand. If unable to do that, then it is best to wait to drive until our emotions are under control.