{"id":349594,"date":"2025-11-07T13:01:32","date_gmt":"2025-11-07T18:01:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.reviews.com\/?p=349594"},"modified":"2025-11-07T13:01:33","modified_gmt":"2025-11-07T18:01:33","slug":"study-after-months-of-quarantine-28-of-people-now-report-feeling-overwhelmed-and-overstimulated-by-driving","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.reviews.com\/insurance\/car\/study-after-months-of-quarantine-28-of-people-now-report-feeling-overwhelmed-and-overstimulated-by-driving\/","title":{"rendered":"STUDY: After Months of Quarantine, 28% of People Now Report Feeling Overwhelmed and Overstimulated by Driving"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>While driving is second nature for most, the return to heavier midweek traffic and a risk environment still above pre\u2011pandemic baselines has increased cognitive load for many drivers. In 2023, an estimated <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nhtsa.gov\/press-releases\/2023-traffic-fatalities-estimates\">40,990 people died in traffic crashes<\/a> (\u22123.6% vs. 2022), and the fatality rate was 1.26 per 100 million vehicle miles\u2014still higher than 2019\u2019s ~1.11. Phone\u2011motion distraction time also reached about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cmtelematics.com\">2 minutes 11 seconds per driving hour<\/a> in 2023, and commuters lost roughly <a href=\"https:\/\/mobility.tamu.edu\/umr\/report\/\">51 hours and $869<\/a> each to congestion (most recent national burden figure), all of which can contribute to feeling overstimulated behind the wheel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To gauge how widespread this feeling is now, we operationalize \u201cdriver overwhelm\u201d using national indicators rather than a single poll: sustained elevation in deaths per mile, rising per\u2011hour distraction, self\u2011reported fatigue\/aggression, and congestion burden. We synthesize current data from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nhtsa.gov\/press-releases\/2023-traffic-fatalities-estimates\">NHTSA<\/a>, large\u2011scale telematics (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cmtelematics.com\">CMT<\/a>), the <a href=\"https:\/\/aaafoundation.org\/2023-traffic-safety-culture-index\/\">AAA Foundation Traffic Safety Culture Index<\/a>, and congestion analytics from <a href=\"https:\/\/mobility.tamu.edu\/umr\/report\/\">TTI\u2019s Urban Mobility Report<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><strong>Risk and exposure remain elevated vs. 2019:<\/strong> The U.S. recorded <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nhtsa.gov\/press-releases\/2023-traffic-fatalities-estimates\">40,990 fatalities in 2023<\/a> (rate 1.26 per 100M VMT vs. ~1.11 in 2019). Distraction was implicated in <a href=\"https:\/\/crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov\/Api\/Public\/ViewPublication\/81331\">3,308 deaths and an estimated 289,310 injuries<\/a> in 2022, while telematics show phone\u2011motion distraction averaging <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cmtelematics.com\">~2:11 per driving hour<\/a> in 2023. Congestion burden has rebounded, with the average auto commuter facing about <a href=\"https:\/\/mobility.tamu.edu\/umr\/report\/\">51 hours of delay and $869 in annual costs<\/a>.<\/li><li><strong>Stressful behaviors are common:<\/strong> In the AAA Foundation\u2019s latest index, large majorities view aggressive and distracted driving as serious threats, while many admit to risky behaviors in the past 30 days\u2014about <a href=\"https:\/\/aaafoundation.org\/2023-traffic-safety-culture-index\/\">1 in 3 drivers report typing\/sending a text<\/a>, a larger share report reading messages, roughly <a href=\"https:\/\/aaafoundation.org\/2023-traffic-safety-culture-index\/\">1 in 5 drove when so tired they had difficulty keeping their eyes open<\/a>, and around <a href=\"https:\/\/aaafoundation.org\/2023-traffic-safety-culture-index\/\">4 in 10<\/a> say they drove 15 mph over the limit on a freeway.<\/li><li><strong>Age shapes how overwhelm shows up:<\/strong> Among older adults, the <a href=\"https:\/\/aaafoundation.org\">AAA LongROAD<\/a> cohort shows a majority self\u2011regulate by avoiding at least one challenging situation\u2014most commonly night driving\u2014an avoidance that rises with age and after crashes\/near\u2011crashes; the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\">CDC<\/a> similarly notes older adults often avoid highways or heavy traffic. By contrast, transport\u2011psychology studies report that younger\/novice drivers tend to experience higher anxiety in high\u2011speed, congested, or merging scenarios (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/journal\/transportation-research-part-f-traffic-psychology-and-behaviour\">TR Part F<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/journal\/accident-analysis-and-prevention\">Accident Analysis &amp; Prevention<\/a>).<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Midweek peaks and busier freeways can amplify that sense of overload: office occupancy patterns concentrate commuting on Tuesday\u2013Thursday, and traffic analytics often rank Tuesday as the worst weekday for congestion in many metros (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kastle.com\/safety-wellness\/getting-america-back-to-work\/\">Kastle Systems<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tomtom.com\/traffic-index\/\">TomTom Traffic Index 2024<\/a>). These conditions layer onto widespread distraction and speeding, which most drivers perceive as severe threats (<a href=\"https:\/\/aaafoundation.org\/2023-traffic-safety-culture-index\/\">AAA Foundation<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cGetting on the freeway for the first time in two months was surreal. It took a lot more focus to feel comfortable merging through traffic. I had to pay close attention to what all the other cars around me were doing,\u201d said one person who is now driving two or three times a week after several months off. &#8220;My instincts just weren\u2019t there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And while many people reported the feeling of over-stimulation, one person we spoke with commented that it didn\u2019t take long for that feeling to subside\u2014consistent with research on graded exposure and refresher practice helping skills and confidence rebound over a few weeks (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\">NIOSH<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.apa.org\/monitor\/2024\/07\/feature-road-rage-driving-anger\">APA<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAfter about a week of driving somewhat regularly, it felt normal again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/archives\/la-xpm-1989-09-10-vw-2721-story.html\">In a report by the Los Angeles Times back the late 1980s<\/a>, various folks discuss the fear of driving, especially when thrown into an overstimulating situation, in this example, moving to Los Angeles. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>From the article:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em> Thousands of Los Angeles newcomers develop freeway phobias after arriving. They are shocked by the constant flow of traffic&#8211;slow and fast and unpredictable. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s easy to see why pauses in driving or a change in commute patterns can trigger temporary overstimulation. Evidence\u2011based steps can help: plan a graded re\u2011entry (start with short, off\u2011peak trips and add complexity weekly), set phones to \u201cDo Not Disturb While Driving,\u201d pre\u2011program navigation\/media to reduce cognitive load, and schedule around the heaviest midweek peaks when possible (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\">NIOSH<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.apa.org\/monitor\/2024\/07\/feature-road-rage-driving-anger\">APA<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There is robust data from transportation agencies: fatalities <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nhtsa.gov\/press-releases\/2023-traffic-fatalities-estimates\">fell 3.6% in 2023<\/a> but remained above 2019 on a per\u2011mile basis, and preliminary updates indicated an additional decline in early 2024 versus early 2023. Pedestrian deaths hit a four\u2011decade high in 2022 (7,522) and appear to have edged down in 2023 but remain historically elevated (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.iihs.org\">IIHS summary of NHTSA estimates<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ghsa.org\/resources\/Pedestrians24\">GHSA preliminary pedestrian data<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The number of cars on the road had drastically fallen following initial stay-at-home orders. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\">Some cities saw their rush hour traffic completely vanish<\/a> for almost an entire quarter. With that, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reviews.com\/insurance\/car\/drivers-fueling-behavior-after-covid\/\">gas prices fell as well, as people were filling up less<\/a>. And due to the decrease in miles driven, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reviews.com\/insurance\/car\/state-farm-geico-biggest-coronavirus-discounts-auto-insurance\/\">many car insurance companies have offered discounts and credits toward future bills<\/a> as their expenses for claims have decreased in the past four months with fewer people driving. Since then, national VMT recovered to at\/above pre\u2011pandemic levels (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fhwa.dot.gov\/policyinformation\/travel_monitoring\/tvt.cfm\">FHWA Traffic Volume Trends<\/a>), gasoline later surged to a record national average of about $5.02\/gal in mid\u20112022 (<a href=\"https:\/\/gasprices.aaa.com\">AAA<\/a>) and has fluctuated seasonally since, well below the 2022 peak but above many pre\u20112020 averages (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.eia.gov\">EIA<\/a>). Temporary 2020 refunds\/credits largely ended by 2021; premiums rose with higher claim severity, and in 2025 about one in four customers participate in usage\u2011based telematics programs to earn discounts as inflation moderates (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bls.gov\/news.release\/cpi.nr0.htm\">BLS CPI<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jdpower.com\/business\/press-releases\/2025-us-auto-insurance-study\">J.D. Power 2025<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/risk.lexisnexis.com\">LexisNexis 2025 trends<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Taking a look at recent road traffic numbers seems to suggest that more people are returning to the road, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reviews.com\/insurance\/car\/2020-travel-trends-81-of-us-residents-planning-a-vacation-say-they-will-travel-by-car\/\">an earlier study even found that as other forms of travel remain harshly hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, road trips remain relatively unscathed<\/a>. Today, national driving has fully recovered: FHWA reports 2024 VMT rose roughly 2% year over year and matched or exceeded 2019 levels (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fhwa.dot.gov\/policyinformation\/travel_monitoring\/tvt.cfm\">FHWA<\/a>). Commutes are fewer but concentrated midweek\u2014about 27\u201329% of paid days are worked from home and office occupancy averages near 50%, peaking Tuesday\u2013Thursday (<a href=\"https:\/\/wfhresearch.com\">WFH Research SWAA<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kastle.com\/safety-wellness\/getting-america-back-to-work\/\">Kastle Systems<\/a>). City analytics likewise show midweek worst\u2011day effects and rising travel times compared with earlier pandemic years (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tomtom.com\/traffic-index\/\">TomTom 2024<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Methodology:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Synthesis of authoritative, current indicators: safety outcomes from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nhtsa.gov\/press-releases\/2023-traffic-fatalities-estimates\">NHTSA (2023 estimates)<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.iihs.org\">IIHS<\/a>; exposure from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fhwa.dot.gov\/policyinformation\/travel_monitoring\/tvt.cfm\">FHWA Traffic Volume Trends<\/a>; and pedestrian context from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ghsa.org\/resources\/Pedestrians24\">GHSA<\/a>.<\/li><li>Behavioral and congestion metrics: phone\u2011motion distraction from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cmtelematics.com\">Cambridge Mobile Telematics<\/a>; self\u2011reported risky behaviors from the <a href=\"https:\/\/aaafoundation.org\/2023-traffic-safety-culture-index\/\">AAA Foundation\u2019s 2023 Traffic Safety Culture Index<\/a>; congestion burden from <a href=\"https:\/\/mobility.tamu.edu\/umr\/report\/\">TTI\u2019s Urban Mobility Report<\/a> and peak\u2011day patterns from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tomtom.com\/traffic-index\/\">TomTom<\/a>.<\/li><li>Age\u2011related evidence from the <a href=\"https:\/\/aaafoundation.org\">AAA LongROAD<\/a> cohort and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\">CDC<\/a>, supported by recent syntheses in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/journal\/transportation-research-part-f-traffic-psychology-and-behaviour\">Transportation Research Part F<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/journal\/accident-analysis-and-prevention\">Accident Analysis &amp; Prevention<\/a>.<\/li><li>Economic and insurance context: gasoline price history from <a href=\"https:\/\/gasprices.aaa.com\">AAA<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eia.gov\">EIA<\/a>; pricing\/discount trends from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bls.gov\/news.release\/cpi.nr0.htm\">BLS CPI<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jdpower.com\/business\/press-releases\/2025-us-auto-insurance-study\">J.D. Power 2025<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/risk.lexisnexis.com\">LexisNexis (2025)<\/a>. Years cited reflect those in the sources; no in\u2011house 2020 survey results are used in the analysis.<\/li><\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>While driving is second nature for most, the return to heavier midweek traffic and a risk environment still above pre\u2011pandemic baselines has increased cognitive load for many drivers. In 2023, an estimated 40,990 people died in traffic crashes (\u22123.6% vs. 2022), and the fatality rate was 1.26 per 100 million vehicle miles\u2014still higher than 2019\u2019s [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":345,"featured_media":349597,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1266],"tags":[],"post_author":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>STUDY: After Months of Quarantine, 28% of People Now Report Feeling Overwhelmed and Overstimulated by Driving - Reviews.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"We surveyed 1,207 US residents who have been driving their own vehicle regularly during the pandemic. 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