Gripping the wheel, avoiding the highway, flinching as a passenger. Why it happens, and how people get back on the road.
October 21, 20262 min read
By Zainab Adesola, BSW, MA, CCC
It’s more common than you think
After a collision, your brain does what it’s built to do: it learns that the road can be dangerous and tries to keep you safe. For many people that alarm fades within a few weeks. For others it gets louder.
Signs of driving anxiety
- Avoiding driving, or certain roads, highways or intersections
- Panic, a racing heart or sweaty hands behind the wheel
- Constantly checking mirrors and bracing for impact
- Feeling worse as a passenger than as a driver
- Re-living the crash when you see a similar car or place
- Planning your day around not driving
Why avoidance makes it stronger
Avoiding the car brings quick relief, so your brain learns that avoiding is what kept you safe. Over time the list can grow, from highways to busy roads to driving at all.
What helps
- Cognitive behavioural therapy. CBT helps you notice the thoughts that drive the fear and test them against what’s really happening.
- Gradual exposure. With a therapist, you build a ladder of small steps, like sitting in the parked car, a short drive on a quiet street, then busier roads, and climb at your own pace.
- Calming skills. Slow breathing and grounding can lower your body’s alarm before and during a drive.
- Planning. Short, predictable drives at quiet times, with a trusted passenger at first, build confidence.
- Treating the whole picture. If you also have nightmares, flashbacks or low mood, trauma-focused therapy can reach the root of the fear.
When to get help
If you’re still avoiding driving or being a passenger a few weeks after the collision, or the fear is affecting work, family or sleep, talk to someone. Getting help early usually means a faster recovery.
Your insurance may cover it
Collision-related anxiety is part of your recovery. Under the current system, and under Care-First from January 1, 2027, therapy can be covered through your auto insurer once a plan is approved. See therapy after a car accident.
This article is general information, not medical, legal or insurance advice. For advice about your situation, talk to your health care provider, your insurer or a lawyer.
Questions
Quick answers.
Should I force myself to drive?
Pushing too hard can backfire. Small steps, planned with a therapist, usually work better than white-knuckling through.
I’m too anxious to drive to appointments. Can I still get help?
Yes. All our sessions can be online, so you don’t have to drive to get help with driving.
Keep Reading
Related articles.
PTSD after a car accident: when the stress doesn’t settleMost people’s shock fades in the weeks after a crash. When it doesn’t, here’s what to know.
Is therapy covered after a car accident in Alberta?Often, yes. How it works depends on one date.
Care-First & your mental health: what changes on January 1, 2027Alberta’s new auto insurance system starts January 1, 2027. Here’s how mental health care fits, how it gets approved, and how to start.