Driving Is Linked to Unhappiness in Americans, Study Finds

A recent study conducted by Climate Nexus illustrated the negative effect America’s dependence on automobiles has on consumers.

The report found that 87 percent of Americans use their cars every day, with more than nine out of 10 households owning at least one vehicle. In 2023, a total of 290 million automated vehicles were operated on the country’s roads. While the results found that owning a vehicle is beneficial for overall life satisfaction in the United States, there’s a finite amount of driving which is healthy for the average American. Out of those surveyed, people who must drive more than 50 percent of the time for out-of-home activities, such as work, experience a decrease in life satisfaction.

“Car dependency has a threshold effect—using a car just sometimes increases life satisfaction but if you have to drive much more than this people start reporting lower levels of happiness,” Rababe Saadaoui, the study’s lead author and an expert in urban planning, told The Guardian. “Extreme car dependence comes at a cost, to the point that the downsides outweigh the benefits.”

Saadaoui admitted the results were “surprising,” but she attributed the dip in satisfaction to the multitude of stressors that come with driving. Loss of physical activity and connection with other people, not to mention maneuvering around other drivers on dense roadways, all contribute to the malaise.

“Some people drive a lot and feel fine with it, but others feel a real burden,” she explained. “The study doesn’t call for people to completely stop using cars, but the solution could be in finding a balance. For many people driving isn’t a choice, so diversifying choices is important.”

Anna Zivarts, an advocate for those who are unable to operate motor vehicles, agrees that pushing people to occasionally use alternative modes of transportation is the smartest option. Zivarts, who suffers from a neurological condition which renders her unable to drive, authored the book When Driving Is Not an Option.

“We are just locked into a system of driving that is meant to be more enjoyable but isn’t,” she said. “I walk five minutes with my kid to the school bus stop and yet other parents make that journey to the stop by car. Is this really how you want to spend your life?”