Importance of Controlling Your Emotions During Any Driving Situation

As a beginner driver, the first things that comes to mind in driving safety are topics such as remembering to safely control the car during rainy weather conditions, noticing a yellow sign coming up and trying to recall what that sign conveys, or when you are at a four-way stop sign trying to figure out whose turn it is to drive. But here is one very important part of driving safety: controlling your emotions during any driving situation. Choosing to drive in an emotional state could be very dangerous. So, here’s a refresher and some reasons why you should pay attention to any kind of emotions you are experiencing while driving.

Before we go into detail about the dangers of not controlling our feelings while driving, we must put a pin in why it is so dangerous in the first place. Imagine you just got out of school, your teacher assigned a difficult project to be completed over the weekend and returned the previous assignment to you with a barely passing grade. You are very upset, so upset that you mumble to yourself, and while driving home you get to a stop sign but you want to get home now and that sign is in your way. Without thinking you ignore the warning and don’t notice that there is another car at the other stop sign already advancing in the intersection. Now, you just caused an accident. If you’re lucky you and the other driver have no injuries, yet since you are the one who caused the crash there is a very high chance you will have to pay for the damage you caused, on top of the payments for the damages to your vehicle, and the high likelihood that you will have your driving privileges temporarily revoked by your parents. All of this because from the start you could not control your anger.

Another example of an emotional situation is driving while extremely sad. What if your dog just died? This experience can take days or even weeks as you adjust to the sadness and to the new reality that your pet is not part of your life. You don’t have the maturity to be able to compartmentalize your emotions while driving a car. So, what can you do? How do you fix this?

When you are feeling an extreme emotion, you must calm down. That is way easier said than done. For starters, you will need to think up ways for how to deal with your emotions before they get the best of you. One option is to recall experiences that are opposite of what you are feeling. If you are mad, think of something or someone who makes you happy. If you are sad, think about a funny moment you had with your dog. A second option is to get out of the car to take a breath of fresh air and, if possible, walk around the area. If you are near a park, talk a short walk around the grounds or park your vehicle in a safe neighborhood and take a short walk around the block. This will give you a moment to think within yourself and to calm your emotions. The third option is to call a friend or family member while you are parked to share with them your current emotional state. The reason why you want to talk about your feelings with someone is because sometimes expressing your thoughts to someone can help you calm down.

These suggestions will help you control an extreme emotion before you get behind the wheel or once you recognize them, whether it is being frustrated, exhausted, sad, or depressed. With those distracting thoughts and feelings out of the way, you can better focus on driving to your home or wherever you need to go safely. Oh, and remember, to “remember” the other important material about driving because that is still and will always be relevant in any situation behind the wheel. 
Even if your mood is in harmony with driving, a car crash, accident or rude behavior by another driver can easily change that mood and you might need to cycle through these suggestions all over again. We both know that as a beginner driver, at that critical moment you may not have the thought to process this reading. So, just do your best at remembering all the rules and tips you have learned so that they can be recalled when you need them. Good luck out there trying to control your emotions while driving and remember to stay safe. Goodbye.