i MGS Insurance Agency | Hypnosis on the Highway

About Highway Hypnosis

by Ronel Forbes
December 16, 2021
People can get lost in their own world at times. They are oblivious to the passage of time. If the person is at home, this may be OK.However, if the person is driving on an expressway, this can be dangerous. It poses a significant danger not just to the driver and occupants of the car, but also to other road users. Highway hypnosis is a trance-like state that drivers experience while on the road.

Continue reading to learn more about the phenomena, its causes, and how to avoid it.

Highway hypnosis can be defined as a circumstance in which you zone out while driving and have no recollection of what transpired. Consider the following scenario: a person is traveling on an expressway late at night with no traffic.

The scenery is uninteresting. In a trance, the motorist slowly slips away. When the driver emerges, he has traveled a few kilometers but has no memory of what occurred during that time.

Highway hypnosis

 

What Causes Hypnosis on the Highway?

The concentration levels are normally high when driving a car during the day while leaving your house to go to work. You’ve probably had a good night’s sleep, breakfast, and a cup of tea or coffee. In the car, music is playing, and you’re trying to figure out if you should take a different route due to traffic.

Your mind is a whirlwind of activity. It’s humming.

Consider the following scenario. It’s past midnight and you’re traveling across the countryside, away from the city, for a few hours while listening to the same music.

You’re eager to arrive at your destination, have dinner, and retire to your comfortable bed. There is very little traffic on the route in the last few kilometers.

The environment doesn’t alter much either. You’re in the same gear as before, and the automobile is cruising. It’s boring, and your active brain starts to shut down.

The brain is less active, and you are prone to drifting away, yet you continue to drive. A truck passes your automobile after ten minutes and honks.

As a result, you awaken from your trance. You become acutely aware of the road ahead and realize you have missed the right turn you were intended to make.

Highway Hypnosis, in which you drive in automatic mode with no recollection of time, might produce this.

When you were driving in the morning, your brain was active, and different portions of the brain were consciously conversing with one another. However, in the second example, regions of the brain were not communicating adequately during the night, resulting in a sleep-like scenario.

In Highway Hypnosis, however, you are not sleeping, but rather function.

 

What’s the Difference Between Hypnosis on the Highway and Fatigued Driving?

At first glance, Highway Hypnosis and Fatigued Driving may appear to be the same thing. Highway Hypnosis can be caused by fatigue, however, it commonly develops due to boredom. However, there is a key distinction: automaticity.

You are experiencing Automaticity in Highway Hypnosis, but not in Fatigued Driving. The subconscious mind can take over in Highway Hypnosis, but this is unlikely in Fatigued Driving.

As a result, Fatigued Driving poses a greater risk than Highway Hypnosis.

Your reaction time to a change in the situation can be much longer in Fatigued Driving than it is in Highway Hypnosis. In a Fatigued Driving state, you are less aware of the potential threats. In Highway Hypnosis, the trance-like state is caused by monotony, but in Fatigued Driving, it is caused by a loss of awareness.

At all costs, fatigued driving must be avoided. It has the potential to be disastrous. If you’re feeling drowsy or weary, don’t drive.

You can detect Fatigued Driving symptoms before getting behind the wheel, but Highway Hypnosis occurs while driving.

While under the influence of Highway Hypnosis, you may experience Velocitation. In the case of fatigued driving, it is less likely. Velocitation is a condition in which you are ignorant of the speed at which you are driving the car, resulting in a dangerous rise in speed.

Velocitation, like Highway Hypnosis, is triggered by boredom.

 

Steps to Avoiding Hypnosis on the Highway

When driving, it is always preferable to be in complete control. While Highway Hypnosis is less dangerous than Fatigued Driving, it is still necessary to make a conscious decision to avoid it and remain aware behind the wheel.

This is vital for the safety and well-being of everyone.

Your subconscious mind and automaticity may be able to keep track of things for you, but remember that driving is a conscious action. Here are some things you may take to ensure that you stay fully awake and alert when driving and prevent Highway Hypnosis.

 

How to Get Rid of Highway Hypnosis:

  • Before a long journey, get plenty of rest.
  • Take two-hour pauses instead of driving continually.
  • Stay alert by drinking a cup of tea or coffee.
  • If the trip is long, try to cover the majority of the distance during the day.
  • Maintain a healthy driving posture for the duration of the trip.
  • Keep an eye on your rear-view mirrors.
  • Listen to a variety of soundtracks.
  • Keep yourself hydrated.
  • Don’t eat too much.
  • Avoid consuming alcoholic beverages.
  • The Most Important Takeaways From Highway Hypnosis:
  • Here are some key points to remember about Highway Hypnosis:
  • When a motorist does not exercise conscious driving, it occurs.
  • It happens as a result of the monotony of the driving environment.
  • It’s the outcome of Automaticity.
  • It’s not the same as Fatigued Driving.
  • You can avoid it by staying active, alert, and observant.

Drive with protection by having a Motorcar Insurance that is right for you. Get a quote now and #BeSecuredAndInsured with us!

 

Suggested Reading:

Recent Posts