The Dangers of Driving Too Long

Busy and congested roads are no longer a strange thing in big cities. Such road conditions can make someone drive for one to two hours for a single trip. You must have experienced it, right, Friend?

Besides being annoying, driving for too long can also endanger your health, you know, Friend. Here are three risks of driving for too long.

Decreased Brain Intelligence and Performance

Research conducted by a group of researchers from the University of Leicester shows that driving for a long time can weaken brain performance and decrease intelligence levels.

The study was conducted over five years on 500,000 people aged 37 to 73 years. The group of people who drove two to three hours a day tended to have lower brain performance and continued to decline compared to those who rarely or did not drive at all.

This is because while driving, the brain does not function actively. Over time, if the frequency of driving increases, brain performance will also decline further.

Weight Gain

Driving in unfriendly road conditions can certainly increase your stress levels. Not only that, a study conducted by the Australian Catholic University’s Institute for Health and Ageing in Sydney shows that driving for a long time can lead to weight gain.

The study involving 2,800 adults stated that those who spent more than one hour driving each day had a body weight 2.3 kg heavier and a waist circumference 1.5 cm wider compared to those who only spent 15 minutes driving.

To prevent this from happening to you, balance it with regular exercise to maintain your fitness and body shape, okay, Friend.

Poor Body Posture

Driving for too long will cause you to feel pain in your neck and shoulders. Not only that, soreness in your back and lower back will also be felt if you have been sitting for too long while driving.

The pain and soreness arise because you sit for too long without proper support from your spine. Moreover, if you sit in an incorrect driving position, your body posture will be disturbed and become less ideal.

To address this, make sure your sitting position while driving is correct. Sit as comfortably as possible. Adjust the distance between the seat and the steering wheel. Also, ensure that your thighs are comfortable with your knees slightly bent.

You should avoid sitting too far from the pedals. This is to reduce tension in your neck, shoulders, and wrists. Also, avoid slouching while driving, okay Friend. To keep your spine in good condition.

Before you drive, check your pockets first. Make sure your pockets are not filled with items. This can compress nerves and disrupt blood circulation in the body.

To prevent the three risks mentioned above, it is advisable to reduce the time you spend driving. If you must drive, take a break every one or two hours to stretch your body and stimulate your brain performance. Don't forget to exercise regularly to maintain your fitness and ideal body shape, okay, Friend.

Read also: Sleeping in a Car with the AC On? Is it Safe for Your Body?