Long Commutes by Car Hard on Our Health

Walking and cycling to work makes commuters happier and more productive, find researchers

Driving has been found to be the most stressful way to commute, with longer commutes associated with higher stress and more absent days. eggeegg/Shutterstock

In Australia, more than 9 million people commute to work every weekday. The distance they travel and how they get there—car, public transport, cycling, or walking—can influence their well-being and performance at work.

Our study, involving 1,121 full-time workers who commute daily to work, made several important findings:

• Those who commute longer distances tend to have more days off work.
• Among middle-aged workers, those who walk or cycle performed better in the workplace.
• Those who commute short distances, walk, or cycle to work are more likely to be happy commuters, which makes them more productive.

In Australia, full-time workers spend 5.75 hours a week on average traveling to and from work. Among them, nearly a quarter of commutes can be classed as lengthy (travel for 45 minutes or more one way).