Construction companies have made housing in metro suburbs affordable: “Twice the size for half the price” — that’s the catchphrase. For most of us, this is an irresistible offer. However, in the Indian context, these regions lack much of what constitutes essential infrastructure. Many needs have to still be met by making a visit to the central parts of the metro. Against this backdrop, owning an automobile, becomes a necessity.
Due to the lack of mass transit systems and the inadequate services of existing public transport, a family living on the outskirts may need a car to get to work on time and enjoy quick access to better educational institutions. So, the family ends up covering long distances by car, which results in a significant financial cost.
It leads to “automobile poverty” — people spending more on car EMIs, fuel, and also on vehicle maintenance. However, there are some other aspects to automobile poverty that often go unnoticed — the physical, psychological and social costs of spending long hours at the wheel. These costs are hidden, but in the long run, prove to be inestimably high.
Physical health worries
Every day, from an outlying area of Chennai, I drive to my workplace located downtown, spending a significant amount of time on the road. Sitting at the wheel for hours has taken a toll on my lower back. People I know have suffered greater damage to their backs, as they face the additional problem of having to navigate pitted roads. For someone riding a motorcycle, the damage can be worse.
Socially speaking
After a draining day at work, capped by a back-breaking drive, much as they want to, parents can’t engage in any sports with their growing children, or with their peers. Sometime ago, I took a temporary membership at a badminton academy near home, booking a late-evening slot, only to see it lapse, unused. Ever since I moved to the outskirts, I have dreaded invitations to social events. The first thought is the extra time I have to spend on the road.
Just as marriage is the root cause of divorce, driving is the root cause of accidents. The longer the drive, the higher the possibility of accidents. Other factors — a long day and disturbed sleep — can add a deadly dimension to a long drive back home, especially one undertaken late at night.
In some parts of the world, Drowsy Driving Prevention Week, starting from the first Sunday in November, is observed annually. I wish it were observed in India too. On a positive note, some IT companies in India decree that their employees get a drop back home after a night shift.
Psychological costs
In the branch of study called “traffic psychology”, the effect of traffic-induced stress is assessed. Crabbiness is a well-known manifestation of this stress. According to the findings of a German study published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives in 2015, sustained exposure to traffic noise can lead to symptoms associated with depression. Three thousand people, in the age group of 45-75, participated in the study, led by Ester Orban of the Center for Urban Epidemiology at the University Hospital Essen. Over five years, sustained exposure to traffic noise led them to display emotions associated with a depressive state of mind.
For anyone living in a region with alarming levels of air pollution, traffic-induced noise pollution will seem the least of problems. The image of Sri Lankan cricketers at Feroz Shah Kotla stadium, wearing masks, will remain etched in our memory. Now, imagine the plight of motorists from areas adjoining Delhi, driving long distances into India’s capital.
