Although driving can be enjoyable, many times it becomes tiring, irritating, and stressful. Many people dread embarking on a car journey, and there are many reasons for this, from road conditions and vehicle issues to the behavior of other drivers on the roads.
The company DiscoverCars conducted an interesting study in seven European cities to determine which city is the most stressful to drive in, i.e., where drivers experience the most stress. The cities included in the study are Copenhagen, Dublin, Reykjavik, Stockholm, Tallinn, Vienna, and Zagreb, and stress measurement was done by monitoring heart rate during driving.
– We collected data on resting heart rates and heart rates during driving for each driver and measured the highest and lowest beats per minute for both situations. We then calculated the average of their lowest heart rates at rest and during driving. We subtracted this from the average of their highest heart rates at rest and during driving. The resulting numbers were used to create a ranking, where those drivers who had a significant difference between their average high and average low are considered to have a high level of stress – the company stated in a press release.
Zagreb at the top
The first place is shared by two cities, Zagreb and Vienna. Both cities received the highest joint stress score of 25.5. A significant difference between the driver’s resting heart rate compared to that during driving can be highlighted as the reason for this. The heart rates of the drivers they collaborated with in Zagreb were low, like a relaxed 56 bpm at rest, and peaked at a high of 115 bpm while driving. Their lowest pulse during driving, 86 bpm, was significantly faster than the pulse of many other drivers – some drivers’ pulses were even 16 bpm lower. 115 bpm is within the normal range for someone engaging in an activity like driving – but the fact that it is so much higher than the driver’s pulse at rest may indicate an increase in stress levels.
