You might have heard that your commute is killing you. But it's not the doughnut and jumbo-sized coffee you've been downing every morning that's doing it.
What's really taking a toll on your health is the polluted air you're breathing, lengthy traffic delays and dodging accidents to and from work. Even as the stress mounts, we put up with it, since most of us can't afford to or don't want to live near our offices.
“It's a lifestyle choice,” says David Rizzo, author of Survive the Drive! How to Beat Freeway Traffic in Southern California. “We put our health second. To have a big house, we're willing to put up with smog and a big drive. We sacrifice our longevity for short-term gains.”
Behind The Numbers
To figure out which region is faring worst, we looked at three issues facing the country's 25 largest metropolitan areas.
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Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario
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Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta
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Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana
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Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown
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Washington- Arlington- Alexandria
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Detroit-Warren- Livonia
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Chicago- Naperville- Joliet
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Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington
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San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos
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St. Louis
First, we examined year-round particle pollution levels based on rankings by the American Lung Association, which used air monitoring data that states submitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from 2003-05. To estimate the time people spend in rush hour traffic, we used the Texas Transportation Institute's 2005 Urban Mobility Report, which calculated annual delays per traveler during peak hours in urban areas nationwide.
Finally, to get a sense of how dangerous the roads are, we compiled the number of per-capita fatal car accidents each region had in 2005 using the U.S. Department of Transportation's Fatality Analysis Reporting System.
Topping the list were Riverside, Calif., followed by Atlanta and Los Angeles. Rounding out the top five were Houston and Washington, D.C., which tied.
SoCal's Triple Whammy
Not only do commuters in Southern California inhale the worst year-round particle pollution levels, but Riverside drivers also face the highest rate of fatal auto accidents per capita, and Los Angeles drivers spend the most time sitting in traffic. In 2003, the annual delay per traveler there was 93 hours.
Long commutes, research has shown, can lead to loss of short-term memory, more days of missed work and such ailments as higher blood pressure, muscle tension and an accelerated heart rate.
Part of the problem is that, unlike New York City, where companies such as Citigroup are headquartered, Los Angeles doesn't have a single activity center. Instead it has a couple dozen, says Texas Transportation Institute research engineer Tim Lomax. As a result, most people have to drive long distances to get to their jobs, causing congestion and a higher likelihood of accidents. Companies headquartered here include the Walt Disney Co., and Northrup Grumman.
And because of its location in a basin, pollution in the Los Angeles area caused by diesel exhaust, barges, locomotives and other sources tends to stay put, says Janice Nolen, assistant vice president with National Policy and Advocacy for the American Lung Association.
Pollution Punch
While drivers busy trying to get to work may not notice it, the exposure is hurting them.
Ultra-fine particulate matter has been linked with premature death, cardiovascular disease and respiratory illness, according to the California Air Resources Board. Though it takes Americans an average of 25 minutes to drive to work, according to 2005 U.S. Census Bureau figures, the board estimates that over 50% of a person's daily exposure to ultra-fine particles can occur during a commute.
Likewise, a 2005 study by researchers at the University of Southern California's Keck School of Medicine showed that long-term exposure to ambient particulate matter may contribute to atherosclerosis, the hardening and narrowing of the arteries.
“Particle pollution kills people, whether they're breathing it in over a short period or day in and day out for a year,” Nolen says. “It's not like being hit by a car, but it shortens the lives of people by months to years.”
Even if you live in a city with low pollution levels, don't kid yourself; that doesn't necessarily mean your commute is healthy. A 2007 report by the Clean Air Task Force that investigated diesel exhaust levels during commutes in New York, Boston, Austin, Texas, and Columbus, Ohio, documented diesel particle levels four to eight times higher inside commuter cars, buses and trains than in those cities' ambient outdoor air.
The only commutes found to be low in diesel exposure were those on electric-powered subways and commuter trains, buses running on alternative fuels or retrofitted with diesel particulate filters, and in cars traveling with little truck traffic.
Top Tips
While you can't exactly control the safety levels of the roads you're driving on, and moving may not be on your agenda, you can do something.
To minimize your exposure to pollution, Conrad Schneider, advocacy director for the Clean Air Task Force, says drivers should try to avoid roads filled with trucks' diesel exhaust. If you can't avoid traveling with trucks, close your windows and set your air to recirculate. Of course, carpooling or taking public transit can cut congestion and travel times. You could also support the Clean Air Task Force and the American Lung Association's campaigns, which urge the EPA to set stricter pollution standards.
“There's no excuse in 2007 to have trucks belch black smoke in our faces when there are solutions to reduce the problem,” Schneider says.
