Road to Self-Care Guide: How Taking Care of Your Mental Health Can Keep You Safe on the Road

Table of Contents

• How Mental Health Impacts Road Safety
• How to Calm Down Before You Hit the Road
• When to Stay Off the Road
• Additional Mental Health Resources

How Mental Health Impacts Road Safety

Motor vehicle crashes continue to be one of the leading causes of death among young people, and since 2015, 43% of teen driver and passenger fatalities involved speeding (compared to 30% for all other age groups).

Adolescents experiencing symptoms of psychological or emotional distress report higher levels of risky driving -- including speeding.

• Both daily stressors and general mental health are associated with errors and violations while driving.
• Among young novice drivers, symptoms of anxiety and depression are strongly associated with risky driving, and depressive symptoms predict risky driving among adolescents and adults as old as 17-25.
• Psychological distress is more influential in predicting risky driving among young drivers than their sociodemographics (age, gender, license type, education, etc).
• Drivers experiencing strong emotional agitation (sadness, anger, etc.) are 9.8 times more likely to be involved in a crash.
• Stressed drivers accelerate and brake more frequently and intensively than other drivers. They also often drive at high speed, overtake other vehicles, and don’t stop at crosswalks.
• Emotional regulation (checking in with your feelings) helps drivers adhere more closely to the speed limit.

*(You can help your friends practice self-care and keep them safe on the road this summer through DoSomething’s Road to Self-Care campaign, powered by General Motors. Share a mental health and road safety checklist with a friend!) *

How to Calm Down Before You Hit the Road

Emotional regulation helps drivers follow the speed limit and decrease risky driving. Below are a few techniques to calm down and relieve stress before getting on the road. (And you can do all of them while sitting in a parked car!)

1. Breathe. Put one hand on your belly and the other on your upper chest over your heart. Relax your stomach, breathe in slowly through your nose, and exhale slowly through pursed lips. You’ll know you’re doing it right if your stomach expands and your hand raises, while the hand on your chest stays relatively still. Do that a few times. How do you feel?
2. Relax your muscles. Close your eyes. Make a tight fist and squeeze, holding it for a few seconds. Slowly open your fingers, focusing on the feeling of tension leaving your hand. Continue tensing and releasing muscles in your hands, legs, shoulders, and feet. Where are you holding the most tension in your body?
3. Count. Count slowly from 1 to 20. Focus only on the numbers and let your other thoughts subside. If you need a challenge, try counting backwards or by a unique number (for example, count to 105 by 7s). Quiet everything else and concentrate -- what number comes next?
4. Engage your senses. Pick up an item (like your wallet or keys) and run your hands over it, focusing on its texture, weight, temperature, etc. Sit in silence and listen for any sounds you can identify. Bring yourself back into the present moment through the things you see, feel, hear, smell, or taste. What’s happening outside of yourself?
5. Recite something. Whether it’s a song, a poem, or a quote from your favorite show, recite something you know from memory. You can say it out loud or think it to yourself -- just really take your time forming each word or syllable. What are the words you know by heart, and what do they mean to you?

When to Stay Off the Road

Even after trying the techniques above, here are signs that you may not be ready to hit the road:

• You can’t stop thinking about distressing thoughts. This means your focus may not be where it needs to be when you’re behind the wheel.
• You’re experiencing physical effects. If you’re crying, shaking, or otherwise physically agitated, then it’s best to just step away and take time to properly ground yourself.
• You feel very emotionally elevated. Any emotion (sadness, anger, annoyance) felt very strongly can impact your behavior on the road. Skip the trip if you’re at a 10 out of 10.

Instead, try calling a friend to talk it out or find another ride. If you’re experiencing a particularly intense moment, you can also text DS to 741741 to connect with a trained counselor from the Crisis Text Line.

Additional Mental Health Resources

HELPLINES:

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 24/7 at 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
• Crisis Text Line: 24/7 support at your fingertips, text DS to 741741
• The Trevor Project LGBTQ Hotline: 24/7 at 1-866-488-7386
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Hotline: 24/7 at 1-800-662-HELP (4357)

RESOURCES:

• How Right Now Directory: Finding What Helps
• Choosing a Mental Health Provider
• New State of Mind: Youth Mental Health Guide
• Let’s Stress Less: Youth-Powered Mental Health Resource Guide