ABSTRACT
Travelling by public and personal transport is an important part of modern life. Travel phobia is a common and disabling problem characterized by strong fear and avoidance of travel. It can interfere severely with the individual’s occupational and social functioning. In clinical settings, fear of travel may present either as the main problem (i.e., as a specific phobia) or as part of another anxiety disorder (e.g., agoraphobia, claustrophobia). It may also develop as a response to experiencing a traumatic event when travelling (e.g., assault, terrorist attack, or severe accident). For example, it has been observed that driving phobias are common after road traffic accidents and can occur in the context of, or independently of, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD; Mayou, Bryant, & Ehlers, 2001).
