Driving myths are just one of the types of strange things you could believe, and they could be making your driving phobias worse than they’d be if you’d know the truth. Some of these myths may include:
- Stopping a skid works best if I just let go of the steering wheel and let the brakes do all the work.
- Driving past a cemetery is only safe if I hold my breath the whole time I’m passing it.
- If someone flashes their headlights at me, flashing them back is a signal used in gang initiations and the person will send someone to come kill me.
As ridiculous as any of the above examples may seem, drivers could certainly believe that stuff – and more! Much of what we believe is based on the way the information was presented, as noted in an enlightening article published in Psychological Science in the Public Interest.
Not only does the article point out the process the brain goes through before it truly classifies something as fact or fiction, but it discusses ways you can stop yourself from believing the hype, whatever the hype may be. If that hype is stuff that makes your driving fears more intense or your driving experience more treacherous, then it’s definitely something you may want to check out.
Read the summary at PsyBlog: http://www.spring.org.uk/2012/12/why-people-believe-weird-things-and-8-ways-to-change-their-minds.php
Check out full article at the Psychological Science in the Public Interest website: http://psi.sagepub.com/content/13/3/10
