While driving is second nature for most, the return to heavier midweek traffic and a risk environment still above pre‑pandemic baselines has increased cognitive load for many drivers. In 2023, an estimated 40,990 people died in traffic crashes (−3.6% vs. 2022), and the fatality rate was 1.26 per 100 million vehicle miles—still higher than 2019’s ~1.11. Phone‑motion distraction time also reached about 2 minutes 11 seconds per driving hour in 2023, and commuters lost roughly 51 hours and $869 each to congestion (most recent national burden figure), all of which can contribute to feeling overstimulated behind the wheel.
To gauge how widespread this feeling is now, we operationalize “driver overwhelm” using national indicators rather than a single poll: sustained elevation in deaths per mile, rising per‑hour distraction, self‑reported fatigue/aggression, and congestion burden. We synthesize current data from NHTSA, large‑scale telematics (CMT), the AAA Foundation Traffic Safety Culture Index, and congestion analytics from TTI’s Urban Mobility Report.
- Risk and exposure remain elevated vs. 2019: The U.S. recorded 40,990 fatalities in 2023 (rate 1.26 per 100M VMT vs. ~1.11 in 2019). Distraction was implicated in 3,308 deaths and an estimated 289,310 injuries in 2022, while telematics show phone‑motion distraction averaging ~2:11 per driving hour in 2023. Congestion burden has rebounded, with the average auto commuter facing about 51 hours of delay and $869 in annual costs.
- Stressful behaviors are common: In the AAA Foundation’s latest index, large majorities view aggressive and distracted driving as serious threats, while many admit to risky behaviors in the past 30 days—about 1 in 3 drivers report typing/sending a text, a larger share report reading messages, roughly 1 in 5 drove when so tired they had difficulty keeping their eyes open, and around 4 in 10 say they drove 15 mph over the limit on a freeway.
- Age shapes how overwhelm shows up: Among older adults, the AAA LongROAD cohort shows a majority self‑regulate by avoiding at least one challenging situation—most commonly night driving—an avoidance that rises with age and after crashes/near‑crashes; the CDC similarly notes older adults often avoid highways or heavy traffic. By contrast, transport‑psychology studies report that younger/novice drivers tend to experience higher anxiety in high‑speed, congested, or merging scenarios (TR Part F; Accident Analysis & Prevention).
Midweek peaks and busier freeways can amplify that sense of overload: office occupancy patterns concentrate commuting on Tuesday–Thursday, and traffic analytics often rank Tuesday as the worst weekday for congestion in many metros (Kastle Systems; TomTom Traffic Index 2024). These conditions layer onto widespread distraction and speeding, which most drivers perceive as severe threats (AAA Foundation).
“Getting on the freeway for the first time in two months was surreal. It took a lot more focus to feel comfortable merging through traffic. I had to pay close attention to what all the other cars around me were doing,” said one person who is now driving two or three times a week after several months off. “My instincts just weren’t there.”
And while many people reported the feeling of over-stimulation, one person we spoke with commented that it didn’t take long for that feeling to subside—consistent with research on graded exposure and refresher practice helping skills and confidence rebound over a few weeks (NIOSH; APA).
“After about a week of driving somewhat regularly, it felt normal again.”
In a report by the Los Angeles Times back the late 1980s, various folks discuss the fear of driving, especially when thrown into an overstimulating situation, in this example, moving to Los Angeles.
From the article:
Thousands of Los Angeles newcomers develop freeway phobias after arriving. They are shocked by the constant flow of traffic–slow and fast and unpredictable.
It’s easy to see why pauses in driving or a change in commute patterns can trigger temporary overstimulation. Evidence‑based steps can help: plan a graded re‑entry (start with short, off‑peak trips and add complexity weekly), set phones to “Do Not Disturb While Driving,” pre‑program navigation/media to reduce cognitive load, and schedule around the heaviest midweek peaks when possible (NIOSH; APA).
There is robust data from transportation agencies: fatalities fell 3.6% in 2023 but remained above 2019 on a per‑mile basis, and preliminary updates indicated an additional decline in early 2024 versus early 2023. Pedestrian deaths hit a four‑decade high in 2022 (7,522) and appear to have edged down in 2023 but remain historically elevated (IIHS summary of NHTSA estimates; GHSA preliminary pedestrian data).
The number of cars on the road had drastically fallen following initial stay-at-home orders. Some cities saw their rush hour traffic completely vanish for almost an entire quarter. With that, gas prices fell as well, as people were filling up less. And due to the decrease in miles driven, many car insurance companies have offered discounts and credits toward future bills as their expenses for claims have decreased in the past four months with fewer people driving. Since then, national VMT recovered to at/above pre‑pandemic levels (FHWA Traffic Volume Trends), gasoline later surged to a record national average of about $5.02/gal in mid‑2022 (AAA) and has fluctuated seasonally since, well below the 2022 peak but above many pre‑2020 averages (EIA). Temporary 2020 refunds/credits largely ended by 2021; premiums rose with higher claim severity, and in 2025 about one in four customers participate in usage‑based telematics programs to earn discounts as inflation moderates (BLS CPI; J.D. Power 2025; LexisNexis 2025 trends).
Taking a look at recent road traffic numbers seems to suggest that more people are returning to the road, and an earlier study even found that as other forms of travel remain harshly hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, road trips remain relatively unscathed. Today, national driving has fully recovered: FHWA reports 2024 VMT rose roughly 2% year over year and matched or exceeded 2019 levels (FHWA). Commutes are fewer but concentrated midweek—about 27–29% of paid days are worked from home and office occupancy averages near 50%, peaking Tuesday–Thursday (WFH Research SWAA; Kastle Systems). City analytics likewise show midweek worst‑day effects and rising travel times compared with earlier pandemic years (TomTom 2024).
Methodology:
- Synthesis of authoritative, current indicators: safety outcomes from NHTSA (2023 estimates) and IIHS; exposure from FHWA Traffic Volume Trends; and pedestrian context from GHSA.
- Behavioral and congestion metrics: phone‑motion distraction from Cambridge Mobile Telematics; self‑reported risky behaviors from the AAA Foundation’s 2023 Traffic Safety Culture Index; congestion burden from TTI’s Urban Mobility Report and peak‑day patterns from TomTom.
- Age‑related evidence from the AAA LongROAD cohort and CDC, supported by recent syntheses in Transportation Research Part F and Accident Analysis & Prevention.
- Economic and insurance context: gasoline price history from AAA and EIA; pricing/discount trends from BLS CPI, J.D. Power 2025, and LexisNexis (2025). Years cited reflect those in the sources; no in‑house 2020 survey results are used in the analysis.
