Driving Stress Discriminates Against Men

No Stress Here

TomTom Finds Driving in Traffic is Hazardous to Your Health

It’s official: traffic is hazardous to your health. According to independent research commissioned by TomTom, drivers, and men in particular, seem to suffer a significant and unhealthy increase in physiological stress when driving in traffic.

Independent tests – which measured physiological stress markers in participants’ saliva – revealed that while women experienced an 8.7% increase in stress from driving in traffic, men suffered a significant 60% increase in stress. These statistics were in contrast to how the participants perceived the situation. For instance, although 67% of women and 50% of men reported they did they not ‘feel’ stressed after driving in traffic for 20 minutes, the saliva tests confirm that they actually were physiologically stressed. The research goes on to suggest that the effects of long-term exposure to stress chemicals include suppressed immune function, raised blood pressure and elevated blood sugar levels.

Or Here, Either

So you can be stressed, and not report it; what's new?

“These findings make good evolutionary sense,” said David Moxon, the health psychologist who led the research. “Men, in particular, show a strong acute physiological ‘fight or flight’ response. The fact that they are not always aware of this could indicate that driving regularly in dense traffic could have a profound effect on their health.”

Tell your wife it's essential for your health that she do all the driving in stressful situations. And, finally, at long last, the Rule 5 Thursday round up by Wombat-Socho at the Other McCain.