This is how you overcome your “vehophobia” when you hit the highway | Car

The fear of driving is sometimes called vehophobia. It literally means: the fear of driving a car yourself. One of the most stressful activities for motorists is merging on the highway between oncoming vehicles.

A police station in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia once called it “one of the greatest mysteries in human history” on its Facebook page. In Germany they even came up with a separate term for it: ‘german fear‘.

Especially during road works, highway ramps are a disaster for some. The tracks are often narrow and the length of the connecting track is also often shortened. “Every day, thousands of motorists are faced with this seemingly insurmountable challenge,” said police in the Märkisches Kreis in North Rhine-Westphalia.

With some guidance, she tries to take the fear out of the driveway. First of all, according to the police, you have to keep panting on the entrance lane and not dive into the first hole you see on the highway at 60 kilometers per hour. To reassure you: you can even pass cars or trucks on the right here.

The second tip is: look in your mirrors several times, then over your shoulder to make sure no one is sitting next to you, then turn off the turn signal and turn slowly to the left. Note: Freeway traffic always has priority, so don’t just throw your car in between. Yet in many cases the space is made by other motorists.

Another point of attention: the route procedure does not apply here, so be careful in the event of a traffic interruption. The most important tip: don’t stress! According to the agents, there is no sinkhole at the end of the insertion corridor. ‘If you haven’t found space to merge, you can just use the hardstop. You cannot be fined for this.