When Penelope Malone got a traffic ticket recently, she says she fretted about it 24/7 for a month. Many nights she bolted awake with worry around 4 a.m., “like a piece of toast coming out of the toaster,” she says.

The ticket’s penalty? About $200.

“I am the world’s biggest worrier,” says Ms. Malone, a 63-year-old retired payroll company...