ŠKODA: Amaxophobia - The Fear of Driving

Halloween is a time to talk about fears. Fears of all kinds. ŠKODA and Proximity Barcelona take advantage of this moment in time to talk about a little-known fear: Amaxophobia. This is what we call the uncontrollable and paralysing fear that some people feel when they drive or are aware that they have to drive. While almost 30% of drivers in Spain admit feeling fear or anxiety while driving and, in some cases, avoid driving on certain roads or in certain situations, 7% of drivers feel a much more extreme fear which essentially results in the inability to sit behind the wheel. It can cause those affected to abandon driving completely. The symptoms are clear. Most of the time the phobia manifests itself in a panic attack while you are driving, in the perception of lack of control, or repeated negative thoughts about driving. On a physical level, it manifests with sweating, tachycardia, tremors, stomachaches, or muscular exhaustion. To raise awareness about the existence of this disorder, ŠKODA and Proximity Barcelona have taken advantage of the context of Halloween to launch an advertisement in the vein of a horror movie along with the Mamma Team production company, under the direction of Galder, and in collaboration with the media agency PHD Media España. The advertisement, which is broadcast in cinemas, TV and online, is just the kick-off of an initiative that, in addition to raising awareness about the problem, wants to help detect new cases, promote the conversation under the hashtag #VenceALaAmaxofobia (#DefeatAmaxophobia), and provide solutions to combat the fear that those who suffer from amaxophobia feel. In order to do this the brand has joined the CEA Foundation of the European Automobile Commission, who specialise in dealing with cases of amaxophobia, among other things.