Health/Wellness
Survey shows 93% of commuters say radio programming reduces stress levelTurn on, tune in and relaxI'm one of the few lucky Canadians who has such a limited commute it may not even really fit the generally perceived definition -- despite having two offices in very different parts of London, Ont., in which I work every weekday and some weekends. |
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 [ 2007-09-12 ] |
My roundtrip commute is 20 minutes in total on a bad day, with limited exposure to construction, traffic congestion and inattentive drivers.
Angus Reid Strategies recently completed a survey on commuting that, not surprisingly, found 89% of Canadians who use a vehicle to commute to work or school say that a stressful commute can adversely affect their personal and professional lives.
Commissioned to conduct the survey by SIRIUS Canada Inc., Angus Reid's study also found that 93% of Canadians agree that listening to their preferred type of music, talk, comedy and sports programming helps reduce stress levels during the commute.
The study defined vehicle commuters as those who use a personal vehicle or a carpool to commute more than 15 minutes a day, round trip.
It also found that most commuters agree that their daily commute time has increased over the past few years and that good radio programming actually changed the perceived length of their commute by making it seem shorter.
"As Canada's population continues to grow, more people are taking to the roads to get to and from work," said David Wiesenthal, psychology professor at York University. "Longer commutes and congested roadways are known to contribute to the heightened stress levels Canadian drivers are experiencing, which in turn, can have an impact on their personal and professional lives."
Wiesenthal, who specializes in driver stress, added that "having the freedom to choose from a variety of entertainment that suits individual interests and tastes has proven to significantly reduce driver stress levels during their daily commute."
Canadian commuters aren't just listening to the radio while they drive, though.
The study also found that commuters are multi-taskers, using their in-car time to engage in a number of activities including:
- Catching up on e-mail or text messages (16%)
- Applying makeup (20%)
- Singing while commuting (62%)
- Drinking coffee or other beverages (83%)
- Engaging in sexual activities (4%)
In carrying out the survey, Angus Reid found that commutes vary significantly across Canada.
Quebecers have the roughest ride, with 29% of commuters travelling for more than 60 minutes, followed by Ontario with 27%. Manitoba and Saskatchewan residents have it easier with 53% of commuters only travelling between 15 and 30 minutes.
In booming Alberta, travel times are getting longer as its population grows, with 69% of commuters saying their drive-times have increased over the past few years.
"While commuting may be a stressful fact of life for many Canadians, our findings show that having the freedom to choose from a variety of audio entertainment can help to mitigate the stress associated with a daily commute and help improve people's mood," says Chris Crockbank, SIRIUS Canada's vice-president of marketing.
So, the basic message to commuters who need to limit the stress they experience on their way to work is: turn on, tune in and relax.
Meanwhile, I'd like to know more about the 4% of Canadian commuters who "engage in sexual activities" during their commute -- is the carpool the new photocopy room?
How many hours a week do you work?