A recent study published by the Journal of Rehabilitation Research & Development examined driving behaviors of post-deployment veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.  The research found that combat-deployed veterans show an increased likelihood of aggressive driving behaviors and at-fault crashes.  Likely causes for this behavior included the combat driving training they receive pre-deployment and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

One veteran interviewed for the study explained how traffic congestion triggers an aggressive behavioral response: “I get overwhelmed sometimes if there’s just like a lot of traffic. I feel like I’m trapped . . . . I don’t go places where there’s a lot of traffic, or a lot of people. I try to avoid ‘em”.

Another veteran recalled his reaction to a tire blowout on a nearby tractor-trailer: “I dropped to the third gear, stomped the gas, and . . . went about 300 yards, and then locked the brakes up in the middle of the road on [a major interstate]. . . I did what I was trained to do in Iraq.”

Did you know? Post-deployment combat veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan have a 75% higher likelihood of fatal car crashes than their non-veteran peers.

Modern Driver Institute offers confidential driving assessments and re-training for combat veterans.  If you are a post-deployment vet or know one whose family is concerned about their driving, please get in touch with us – we can help.

Reference:

Hannold, E. M., Classen, S., Winter, S., Lanford, D. N., & Levy, C. E. (2013). Exploratory pilot study of driving perceptions among OIF/OEF Veterans with mTBI and PTSD. Journal Of Rehabilitation Research & Development, 50(10), 1315-1330.