Whether you like speed or not, join us on a journey into the mind of a speed addict!

Moving quickly and rapidly through our environment can be an exciting and invigorating experience, or a terrifying and overwhelming sensation. We explore the reasons why people can experience the same situation very differently, and explain why some people seek speed despite the inherent risks.Driving at speed presents an enormous challenge, and is stressful from both a physical and mental perspective.

Modern racing cars are capable of accelerating from 0 to 100mph in two seconds, and the brain simply hasn’t evolved to deal with this degree of sensory information or the associated physical forces. The dangers involved in driving at speed are also clear, and it leads us to question why so many people are willing to risk their lives in the fast lane.

In order to understand the psychology of speed it is therefore necessary to understand how the brain responds to speed, the ways in which people differ, and the mental skills used by top drivers.

Use the links on the left explore the Psychology of Speed.