Some people would be particularly stressed by small accelerations, such as the one caused by starting when the light changes from red to green.
- The participants in this study were between the ages of 18 and 27, and had no sight problems.
- For the authors of this work, these discoveries are particularly important for the future of the automobile: semi-automatic vehicles could reduce the stress level of drivers.
Driving is stressful: it requires constant vigilance. But we are not all equal in the face of the emotional load behind the wheel. According to a study by the University of Houston, located in Texas, some people are more stressed while driving. According to their work, this would be particularly linked to acceleration. They call the phenomenon “accelerousal“(“acceleration phenomenon”, editor’s note), a conjunction between emotional charge and acceleration. According to Ioannis Pavlidis, the director of this study, the notion designates “the stress caused by accelerations, even the smallest ones”.
A high level of stress
According to the researcher and his team, this innate behavior could be linked to a genetic predisposition. To better understand it, they carried out a driving test with eleven participants. All have driven the same model of car, on a circuit. While they were driving, various data were collected, including their perinasal breathing, using thermal cameras, which is an automatic response to a stressful situation. An on-board computer recorded all acceleration, braking, and speed. According to the analysis carried out, almost half of the drivers felt stress when accelerating, in situations similar to going from a red light to green. The other part of the participants showed no signs of stress. “The differences were significantemphasizes Ioannis Pavlidis, participants stressed by acceleration had stress levels 50% higher than that of other, non-anxious drivers.“After driving, all participants answered a questionnaire: the answers show that those who are stressed feel more tired after driving, compared to the others.
A particularly dangerous phenomenon for delivery people
For the authors of this study, it is necessary to continue research on the subject. Technological tools could be a solution to reduce the stress felt by these drivers. This would improve road safety, but also the health of drivers in the long term, given the effects of stress on the body, they indicate in a communicated. “Delivery workers, for example, who are increasingly numerous in our economy, are exposed to stop and go movements all the time, insists the scientist. Thus, delivery people who suffer from this emotional burden linked to acceleration, and who are not aware of it, could have a means of detecting this phenomenon..” While waiting for these tools, it gives a way to know if you are suffering from it: if you find that you are more stressed than those around you by driving, and also more tired, you could feel this emotional charge linked on acceleration.
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