Driving-related fear: A review Joanne Taylor a, * , Frank Deane b , John Podd a a School of Psychology, Massey University, Private Bag 11-222, Palmerston North, New Zealand b Department of Psychology, Illawarra Institute for Mental Health, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia Abstract This article reviews the research on driving-related fear (DRF). Until recently, research has concentrated almost exclusively on the effect of motor vehicle accidents (MVAs) on subsequent levels of DRF. However, recent findings have suggested that MVAs are not solely responsible for this fear reaction, and that non-MVA driving fear can be just as strong. Studies of the broader driving-fearful population have encountered difficulty with diagnostic conceptualisation of DRF, although some have investigated a possible typology of DRF. Driving skill has been a neglected issue in the DRF research, and may prove to be a useful part of assessment and remediation of this potentially debilitating problem. Issues of definitional inconsistency are highlighted, and suggestions are made for several directions that future research might profitably take. D 2002 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved. Keywords: Driving-related fear; Review 1. Introduction Driving is considered to be a fundamental part of living in modern society. It is a skill which frequently facilitates the maintenance of independence and mobility, and enables contact with a wide variety of important activities. Fears related to driving have the potential to severely restrict these freedoms. A significant proportion of the existing research on driving-related fear (DRF) has come from an interest in the psychological consequences of motor vehicle accidents (MVAs). This research has documented posttraumatic stress disorder 0272-7358/02/$ – see front matter D 2002 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved. PII:S0272-7358(01)00114-3 * Corresponding author. Tel.: +64-6-356-9099; fax: +64-6-350-5653. E-mail address: joanne.taylor.1@uni.massey.ac.nz (J. Taylor). Clinical Psychology Review 22 (2002) 631 – 645