Psychological benefits of driving

Over the decades, the modern car has become something of a sanctuary for the academic: a place to muse, meditate and problem solve. It is a place to feel safe, and find inspiration.

Driving supports productive thinking and psychologists have found that one that frees up parts of the brain to think productively.

We can safely day-dream, work through our thoughts, or have a conversation at the wheel is because the brain’s central executive remains alert throughout – and it will return our attention to the road in an instant as and when needed. This is why it’s much more difficult to think about things other than driving when in bad weather conditions, in the dark, or when driving a different car.”

From the exhilaration and euphoria associated with speed, through the day-dreaming and problem solving promoted by cruising, to the intimate communion we can achieve with the natural world when we’re driving through a beautiful landscape with the windows down.

Driving fast can be exhilarating and mood-changing, and one of the greatest miracles that motoring has given us is the ability to access and explore out-of-the-way landscapes that would otherwise be out of bounds, and to connect with the world through the windscreen as we gently motor through it.

Motoring sustainability isn’t just about the quest for a carbon-free future: One of the most important principles is that we come to value our vehicles a little more, to preserve them for longer. Vehicles nowadays as superbly engineered as a Porsche are built to last, and I like to think of them having a long life.”

Source: Porsche Newsroom