Extreme situation behind the wheel: That’s why you’re a different person in the car

Everyone knows the feeling in traffic jams that you are always in the lane where nothing is moving. Schockenberg: “Or to put it another way: you always think the other lane will be faster.” This can be explained psychologically as follows: When a vehicle overtakes you, you are constantly reminded that it is driving ahead of you. If you pass by yourself, you forget with the motto “out of sight, out of mind”. The feeling of being disadvantaged does not correspond to reality. Changing lanes frequently will save you a maximum of three to four minutes, according to Schockenberg. He tested it on the 70-kilometer route between Munich (D) and Salzburg (A).

The majority of people traveling in traffic are under time pressure. Predictable traffic jams that always occur in the same places can be taken into account. Schockenberg says things get stressful when the unexpected happens. This includes accidents or construction sites that you did not expect. Anyone going on holiday may experience some delay. “If you miss an important appointment, you will suffer the consequences. I saw someone backing out of the emergency lane and one driver after another joining them. Packet behavior emerges quickly in traffic congestion.

Anyone sitting alone in a car enjoys anonymity. No one hears what you say, you feel like you are not being observed. “As a driver, you can behave completely differently than is possible in everyday life,” says Schockenberg. For example, by swearing or complaining about others. The person who exaggerates this encourages himself. Schockenberg: “You’re getting angrier than you are now. “Therefore, I advise everyone to approach the behavior of other road users calmly.”