From Family Handyman · Alex Shoemaker · · 1m 30s
Why a good drive feels good, according to science
A new Castrol study wired up drivers and found the thrill comes from focus and control, not from speed.
In brief
A new Castrol study wired up drivers and found the thrill comes from focus and control, not from speed. What makes driving fun is being fully absorbed and in control of the car, not how fast the needle goes. Originally reported by Family Handyman.
You know the feeling
A certain road, a favorite car, the right set of turns, and suddenly a drive stops feeling like a chore. Researchers wanted to know what actually causes that.
Castrol wired up drivers
The Castrol EDGE "Thrill of Driving" study tracked what happened in drivers' brains and bodies across karting, track driving, off-road runs and a passenger ride at a closed UK facility.
Three things they measured
How physically stimulated drivers felt, how focused they were, and whether the run stayed exciting or tipped over into stress.
Controlled immersion
The thrill peaked when all three lined up at once and none of them overwhelmed the driver. Castrol calls it controlled immersion.
“Castrol describes the finding as "controlled immersion"”
Karting beat the fast stuff
Low speeds still produced a strong response, because drivers had to concentrate and work the vehicle themselves. Riding as a passenger did not land the same way.
Control separates thrill from fear
Excitement and fear set off many of the same physical reactions. Feeling on top of the car kept it fun; feeling swamped turned it stressful.
Public roads are not a track
The testing ran on closed courses with professional supervision. Real roads add traffic, pedestrians and weather, and NHTSA notes speeding stretches stopping distance.
“Speeding endangers not only the life of the speeder, but all of the people on the road around them”
At a glance
What makes driving fun is being fully absorbed and in control of the car, not how fast the needle goes.
