Stress Awareness Month: Three Ways Stress Leads to Car Accidents
April is Stress Awareness Month and the staff at Patterson Legal Group wanted to use the event to help people learn about the ways stress can lead to car accidents. According to Mayo Clinic, stress can lead to anxiety, muscle tension, fatigue, and more; these are things that can be detrimental to your driving. To help you and the drivers in your household understand the connection between stress and car accidents, our team offers the following information.
Five Ways Stress Can Lead to Car Accidents
Stress can have adverse effects on your body and mind. One of the goals of Stress Awareness Month is to help people understand the different ways stress can affect everyday tasks. For driving, even a small amount of stress can lead to a catastrophic injury. Below are five ways stress and car accidents can be linked.
- Impaired decision-making: stress can cloud your judgment, leading to poor decision-making on the road, such as aggressive driving, tailgating, or reckless driving.
- Reduced concentration: stress can decrease your ability to focus on the road and surrounding conditions, increasing the likelihood of missing important cues, such as traffic signs or hazard warnings.
- Slower reaction times: your reaction time can be slower while stressed, making it harder to respond quickly to sudden changes in traffic conditions or to avoid obstacles.
- Emotional instability: stress can lead to emotional outbursts or mood swings, which can manifest in aggressive driving, road rage, or impulsive behavior behind the wheel.
- Physical ailments: stress can cause physical symptoms such as muscle tension, headaches, or fatigue, which can impair your ability to control the vehicle or stay alert on the road.
Related: Impaired Driving Prevention
Five Ways to Lower Your Chances of Stress and Car Accidents
There are many things that you can do to lower your stress and increase your safety on the road. In addition to helping you avoid car accidents, they can potentially increase your overall health and well being. Some simple ways to lower stress include:
- Getting sufficient sleep: keeping your mind and body sharp begins with rest. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends at least seven hours of sleep for adults 18 and older.
- Eating healthy: a diet that includes fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins can lower stress, while diets full of processed foods and sugar can increase stress.
- Getting regular exercise: as little as 15 minutes of moderate aerobic activity daily can greatly lower your stress levels.
- Practicing relaxation techniques: deep-breathing exercises, meditation, and tai chi are highly effective ways to decrease stress.
- Being socially active: regular social interactions can help improve your mood and stimulate your brain. Additionally, positive social activity can help lower your blood pressure, cortisol levels, and inflammation, which are all linked to stress.
Naturally, the recommendations above are things that should be done regularly and over a long period of time in order to be effective. If you are at the point where stress is overwhelming and you suspect that it’s affecting your driving then pull over, take some time to relax, and don’t drive until you feel safe doing so.
If need be, call a family member or friend to take a taxi or rideshare to your location so they can drive you home. While that might seem inconvenient, it’s a small price to pay for your safety.
Contact Patterson Legal Group
The team at Patterson Legal Group hopes that you have a better understanding of the relationship between stress and car accidents. As part of Stress Awareness Month, please share this info with your friends and family to help keep everyone in your life safe on the road. However, some accidents happen no matter how safe you’re being. Should you get into an accident caused by another party’s negligence or recklessness then contact us for immediate assistance.
The trial attorneys at Patterson Legal Group have more than 75 years of combined experience representing injury victims in Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma. In addition to a proven track record of winning fantastic settlements, our staff is committed to treating every client with the respect and compassion that they deserve.
You can reach us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by phone at (888) 687-2400 and online through LiveChat or secure contact form. Reach out to us today and you’ll quickly learn why Patterson Legal Group is one of the most trusted personal injury law firms in the Midwest.
