According to the Waze Driver Satisfaction Index, the Philippines is the worst place to drive, with a score of 3.02 out of 10. Driving in the Philippines is terrible because of many factors, but the most notable one is vehicle congestion. With so many cars on the road, it is no wonder why an average commute takes around 66 minutes a day.
Dealing with constant heavy traffic can have many negative consequences, such as the following:
Higher Stress
Even if you’re just sitting in the vehicle, waiting for it to move, traffic jams are stressful. Long commutes can also negatively impact your health and fitness, aside from taking away precious time. Traffic jams can take away time that you could be using to exercise and keep fit. In addition, being exposed to the daily hassle of traffic can lead to higher chronic stress and blood pressure, which is bad for the heart.
Exposure to Air Pollution
Air pollution is estimated to be the cause of around 7 million premature deaths worldwide every year. Being exposed to air pollutants can negatively impact your health, especially your lungs. Those who travel in non-air conditioned vehicles like jeepneys and motorcycles are more at risk since they don’t have a barrier between themselves and vehicle emissions.
Moving Away
To escape the terrible traffic conditions in the Metro, some people are moving to affordable houses in Cavite and other cities where the traffic isn’t as heavy. Relocating because of traffic is rather extreme, but it is what people are resorting to just to free themselves of the daily traffic jams in Metro Manila.
Lack of Sleep
When you’re stuck in a traffic jam, you miss out on precious sleep. Sleep deprivation can affect long-term memory, attention spans, and performance. It can also cause fatigue, frustration, impulsive behavior, lower immunity, and anxiety.
Habitual Tardiness
Traffic congestion causes tardiness, especially if the cause of the traffic jam is an accident or inclement weather. Delays due to traffic can affect relationships, especially if it happens often. If you’re always late because you didn’t factor in the traffic in your commute time, your credibility and integrity are at stake.
In addition, if delivery trucks are late for their shipments, businesses can suffer greatly. Time-sensitive deliveries – like raw materials and fresh produce – don’t benefit at all from traffic congestion.
Damaged Vehicles
Your vehicle will also depreciate more quickly because of how long it stays still in traffic jams. Frequently accelerating and braking can contribute to your car breaking down, leading to higher repair expenses.
Time Wasted
When you’re stuck in traffic, you usually aren’t able to do anything productive. Your time is wasted, especially if you have an important meeting to attend or a lot of work to accomplish.
Vehicle congestion can cause an array of problems. Aside from making you late and wasting your time, it can negatively impact your health and wellbeing. Sometimes, when it gets too much, you would want to just up-and-move to a location where the traffic isn’t as bad.
Unfortunately, traffic jams seem to be a fact of life in the Philippines. The most important thing to do when you find yourself stuck in traffic is to keep a positive mind.
