Nervous Driver!

Hi everyone,

This is going to sound a bit stupid, but I am in desperate need of advice! I am planning on driving from Pennsylvania to Washington state at the end of August. The only thing is I really hate highway driving! I don't mind long, flat stretches, but I get really nervous on winding roads or when there are a lot of trucks.

In case it wasn't clear, circumstances have made it necessary for me to drive this... I have no choice. I would like to relax and see the wonderful scenery I know is out there on this journey, can anyone suggest a route that might be more friendly for a nervous driver? I do have someone coming with me, but I can't make him drive the whole way!

Welcome to the RTA Forum!

When I think of highway driving, I think of Interstate Highway driving, or Freeway driving, and they have nothing like what you are afraid of. They are built to standards that minimize curves and grades as much as possible. Yes, they will have trucks, but with multiple lanes, they shouldn't be much of a problem for you either.

That's really the best you can do. Having said that, I suspect following I-90 for most of your journey will be your best bet.

There are a few things that you should be aware of that should help you make this trip in a calm frame of mind. First, the Interstate highway system is built to standards that limit how steep or twisty any part of it can be, so the road itself should never be that much of a concern.

Second, you can limit your 'exposure' to trucks in a couple of ways. The first is to avoid the major cities where general traffic congestion will make things seem even worse. For example, rather than use the Turnpikes past Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Toledo and Chicago, you can use I-70 to Indianapolis, I-74 to Normal, IL and then I-39 north to rejoin I-90 near Madison, WI. That only adds about 110 miles but is a much more relaxed drive. You can also avoid trucks in general by observing the speed that they're generally running at and set your cruise control to that speed and settle down in a gap between groups of trucks. If you find yourself having to pass too many trucks for your comfort level, slow down a couple of miles. Repeat until you're not passing too many. Or speed up a bit if too many trucks are passing you.

Third, don't push yourself farther or harder than you're comfortable with. rather than try to drive 4, 5, or 6 hour shifts, stop every couple of hours and take a mental health break. Follow all those pieces of advice, take a few deep breaths when necessary, and you should be fine.

AZBuck

Thanks a lot for the advice, I appreciate it!