Driving Anxiety: How to Overcome It on Long Journeys
Written by: The Confident Drivers Team
Updated: 28th July 2026
If you've ever felt your stomach drop at the thought of a long drive, you're far from alone — most drivers experience some anxiety behind the wheel, even years after passing their test. The good news is that with a few simple strategies, you can build your confidence back up and start enjoying longer journeys again.
Article Contents:
- Driving Anxiety: How to Overcome It on Long Journeys
- What Is Driving Anxiety?
- Make a List of Your Driving Anxiety Worries
- Gently Challenge Your Driving Anxiety Thoughts
- Notice When Driving Anxiety Starts on a Long Journey
- Relaxation Techniques and Breathing Exercises for Driving Anxiety
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Want More Support With Long-Distance Driving Anxiety?
Driving anxiety is something we hear about constantly on driver forums, and it catches a lot of people out. You might assume that once you've passed your test, the nerves disappear — but that's often not the case. According to a survey by Lloyds car insurance, 70% of motorists experience anxiety in difficult driving situations after passing their test. For many, it's long-distance journeys in particular that bring the worry to the surface.
If that sounds familiar, you're not alone, and there's a lot you can do to build your confidence back up. Below are the tips we suggest most often to drivers who get in touch, along with a few things worth knowing about what driving anxiety actually is and why it happens.
What Is Driving Anxiety?
Driving anxiety is a sense of fear, unease, or panic connected to driving — whether that's before you set off, during the journey itself, or in specific situations like motorways, long distances, or busy roads. It's genuinely common. It can show up as a racing heart, tight chest, sweaty palms, shallow breathing, or a mind that keeps jumping to worst-case scenarios. None of that means you're a bad driver. It usually just means your body's stress response is switching on when it doesn't need to.
Make a List of Your Driving Anxiety Worries
If it's the distance rather than driving itself that worries you, that's actually useful information, because it means you can build a specific strategy around it. Write down everything that worries you, then next to each one, note how far into a journey that worry tends to start.
Some worries are things that are likely to happen (like needing to stop for fuel), some might happen occasionally (like breaking down), and some are "what if" thoughts — stories your mind tells you that may never actually happen. Separating these out gives you a much clearer picture of what you're really dealing with.
Gently Challenge Your Driving Anxiety Thoughts
For worries that are likely or occasionally possible, ask yourself: what have I done before that helped in this kind of situation? What skills do I already have? What can I put in place to prepare — for example, if breaking down worries you, what would you need with you to stay safe and get help quickly?
For the "what if" worries, look at each one and ask: even though this is unlikely, is there anything small I can do to reduce the risk? Often just having an answer to that question takes the edge off.
Notice When Driving Anxiety Starts on a Long Journey
Look back at your list and the point in the journey each worry tends to start. That can tell you a lot — are you getting tired, bored, or hitting a specific trigger like motorway junctions or roadworks?
It's also worth figuring out what length of journey feels comfortable, what feels a bit of a stretch, and what tips over into properly anxious territory. Practising with journeys in that "stretch" zone is one of the best ways to build resilience gradually, rather than jumping straight into your longest, most daunting drive.
If motorways in particular tend to be where your anxiety spikes, that's really common — and we've been quoted by both the Telegraph and BBC News, who have reported on it.
ESitu Solutions have researched and created a dedicated online motorway anxiety course to help with exactly that; you can find out more details in our courses section.
Relaxation Techniques and Breathing Exercises for Driving Anxiety
These are some of the most effective and easiest to build into your driving:
- Break the journey up. Splitting long drives into manageable chunks — an hour, or whatever feels comfortable — helps prevent the tiredness and lapses in concentration that make anxiety worse.
- Get out of the car at every stop, even just to walk around it. Changing your physical position resets your body and helps you feel back in control.
- Practise breathing exercises regularly, not just when you're anxious, so they're second nature when you actually need them in the car.
- Chew gum, hum, or sing. These all send calming signals to your nervous system and give your mind something else to focus on.
- Share the driving if there are two of you, so no one has to hold the anxiety alone for the whole trip.
- Prepare properly in advance. Check traffic and weather, plan your route, and know where you'll stop for fuel and breaks. Having a plan reduces the number of unknowns your mind has to worry about.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is driving anxiety common?
Yes, very. Research from Lloyds car insurance found that 70% of motorists feel anxious in difficult driving situations after passing their test, and long journeys are one of the most common triggers.
What are the symptoms of driving anxiety??
It can show up as a racing heart, tight chest, sweaty palms, shallow breathing, or your mind jumping to worst-case scenarios. These are simply signs your body's stress response has switched on — they don't reflect your ability as a driver.
How do I get over driving anxiety on long journeys?
Breaking your journey into shorter, manageable stretches, taking proper breaks, practising breathing exercises, and preparing your route in advance are all effective starting points. Building up gradually with journeys that feel slightly challenging, rather than jumping straight to your longest drive, tends to work best.
Can driving anxiety be treated?
Yes. Most people see real improvement with a mix of practical strategies and relaxation techniques, and some find additional support through resources like guided hypnotherapy or structured stress management courses helpful too.
Want More Support With Long-Distance Driving Anxiety?
If these tips have helped, our stress management subscription for nervous drivers goes further. It brings together the most effective techniques for managing driving anxiety — including on long journeys — in one place you can access anytime.
One month gives you access to videos, audio tracks, exercises, e-learning courses, and hypnotherapy tracks, for less than the price of a typical driving lesson. Find out more about our Nervous Drivers Calming Kits. And if motorways specifically are your sticking point, our online motorway anxiety course goes even further into that particular challenge.
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