If you need to make or receive a hands-free call, it is safer to pull over to the side of the road when it is safe to do so. 

## Dangerous emotions 

## You in the driver’s seat 

You’re on your way to Vancouver Island, hoping to catch the 3 p.m. ferry. The traffic is heavy, so your progress is slow. As you approach a green light, the car in front slows down. The driver seems to be deciding whether to make a turn. You mumble under your breath in frustration. Finally, the car moves, but the light turns yellow, so you now have to stop and wait. You feel a surge of anger. A driver like that shouldn’t be on the road slowing up traffic. You just know you are going to miss your ferry. 

We all have changing emotional states. Emotions are powerful forces that can interrupt the concentration you need for driving. When you are feeling very angry, anxious, sad or upset, you miss important information. Your thinking becomes unclear. Your safety and the safety of others is in danger. 

Sometimes you may become angry or impatient because of the driving environment. Crowded traffic conditions and high- speed freeway driving often cause stress. Being slowed down by other traffic when you’re in a hurry produces tension. Drivers who are angry or stressed are less tolerant of the mistakes that other road users make. 

Whatever the cause of the emotion, it is important to look at your emotional fitness to drive. Sometimes it’s best to stay out of the driver’s seat. 

Here are some things you can do to help you stay calm and in control while driving: 

• Keep learning. Analyze stressful driving situations you have found yourself in, and figure out what you can do next time to be calmer and safer. 

• Plan ahead. Choose a route that avoids crowded traffic so you can concentrate better. 

• Allow yourself plenty of time. Being in a hurry can cause you to become angry or frustrated. Realize that if you leave late, you’ll arrive late. 

## Strategies: controlling emotions 

