Photo: Don Bartletti/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
Reliance on cars harm our health in a number of ways, Boston University economist Austin Frakt said.
Be smart: On top of removing you from the horrors of traffic, walking and riding a bike offer the benefits of at least light exercise.
The brutal commute:
- Exposure to the pollution caused by exhaust can cause respiratory problems.
- Researchers have found that people who spend more time in the car had worse health and were more likely to be depressed.
- We spend about 40 hours per year sitting in traffic, and unanticipated delays on top of the gridlock we’re used to are a cause of stress, which we know to have a host of health effects. One study linked “extreme traffic” to higher rates of domestic violence.
Go deeper:
- Want to live a long life? Spend it in a large, dense city.
- The American car is becoming obsolete