Men Are Seven Times More Stressed Than Women When Stuck in Traffic Jams

Women may often be disregarded when it comes to driving cars, but at least they get to live a much relaxed life. With today’s traffic getting more and more obnoxious on crowded city streets, where you can often get stuck for tens of minutes, the stress is increasingly on the agenda.

But according to a recent study by satnav firm TomTom, men's stress levels soar a staggering seven times higher than a woman's when stuck in heavy traffic.

Psychologists tested volunteers for the rise in stress chemicals in their saliva when caught up in a traffic jam. The levels for women in the study increased by 8.7 per cent while stuck behind the wheel - but for men it shot up by no less than 60 percent. As it puts pressure on the heart, it can cause dizziness and breathing problem.

Men could get more stressed because their normal reaction to a difficult situation is known as 'fight or flight' - which means either confront it or walk away from it, the specialists explain. However, stuck behind the wheel in motionless traffic does not leave them either option so they sit and fume. Women, on the other hand, cope better using methods as simple as singing to the radio to relieve the pressure.

"These findings make good evolutionary sense. Men, in particular, show a strong acute physiological fight or flight response," said health psychologist David Moxon.

"Many drivers see traffic congestion as a necessary evil,” added Corinne Vigreux, Managing Director, Consumer at TomTom. “But this research proves that we have an obligation to challenge this line of thinking. As announced in our Traffic Manifesto last September, we pledge to use our unique technology and our driving community to reduce traffic congestion by 5% for everyone.”

Don't worry, guys! The ladies are still the ones more stressed when it comes to parking, so the law of compensation applies.