A few months ago the Lagos state government announced the ban of Motorbikes and Tricycles, all of a sudden my phone began to buzz with calls and WhatsApp messages from my friends to sympathize with me because everyone who knows me knows that I hate being stuck in traffic, I should have won customer of the year on Opay and Gokada. as unsafe as bikes are it was my easiest means of moving around Lagos, having to navigate from the mainland to the island twice in a day without sitting in a stressful and frustrating 2-hour traffic is exhilarating.
Lagos is arguably the most populated city in Nigeria and Africa as a whole, it is also a business hub and because of the economic activity in the city, the roads are always crowded with lots of cars and metallic monster trucks on the roads causing so much traffic. A Lagosian spends an average of 3 hours daily on the road. Autojosh analysed it, Now, let say that – on every weekday – you spend, say, 3 hours commuting in Lagos traffic, that means you spend 60 hours monthly (3hours x 5days x 4weeks) = 60hours. How crazy does that sound? That’s absolutely outrageous and I bet you have never really thought about it that way.
Being stuck in traffic and wasting productive time is not the only problem, sitting in there also causes serious health hazards. I’m sure you are wondering how is it hazardous, is it not just to sit in the car? Keep reading to see how traffic is affecting you more than you know.
Air pollution: did you notice that during the coronavirus lockdown when people were forced to stay at home, the sky was a lot blue and clearer? the Royal Belgian institute had this to say about that “the diffusion and absorption by fine particles and other pollutants decreased noticeably, which certainly affected the colour of the sky, especially in cities with a higher level of pollution. This can give the impression of a purer, less yellowish sky during the day”. The longer time vehicles stay on the road in congestion it emits a lot of carbon that pollutes the air which, in turn, affect drivers, commuters and others nearby. Exposure to this complex and variable mixture of gasses and particles has been linked to a range of health effects from adverse birth outcomes to dementia. Sadly but even if you are in your airconditioned car you are equally at risk of exposure to this because the fan allows for an exchange of air from outside back into the car. This is an uncontrollable thing because life must go on in spite of the hazards and risk involved.
Stress: do you realize that even if you are in a comfortable vehicle but in congestion, for over an hour you begin to get anxious, angry and feel stressed out but on a second thought you’d think that because you are not doing any physically strenuous activity you wouldn’t be tired but being in traffic is crazy, it messes with your head and that’s what actually makes you tired. Why do think danfo drivers are always angry and mean, it’s not often intentional but the mental stress and frustration that comes with driving in Lagos just take the better part of them. Studies have shown that the level of blood adrenaline hormone increases in heavy-traffic compared with during low-traffic conditions. Also, the ability to estimate distance and recognition is reduced due to high-traffic compared to during low-traffic conditions. The increase of the adrenaline during driving on heavy-traffic days can lead to stress because ones accuracy and judgment may be reduced. Think about when google map tells you 1hour to your destination and after 40 minutes of driving it’s still saying 1hour to your destination, imagine the frustration. We cant take the stress that comes with congestion away but we can find a way to reduce the effect by doing these;
- Start by staying calm it will reduce the anxiety, the fear of getting home late won’t make the road or traffic move any faster. So stay calm and look forward to an activity or task you plan to accomplish when you get to your destination.
- Do other distracting things like listening to music or watching something on your phone (if you are a passenger)
- Try gisting with your co-passengers if you are commuting in a public vehicle.
- Begin to plan your next day activity I do this a lot, I outline my blog posts and youtube video ideas on google docs or google keep while in traffic so I don’t have any time really wasted.
- If you love to read, this would be a good time to complete that book.
- Or better still just sleep (non-driver) and forget your current situation.
Physical health: Traffic can affect your physical health in ways you have never really imagined. Whether you are on a weight loss or gain diet congestion encourages eating junk (gala, plantain chips, carbonated and fizzy drinks) you end up eating extra calories than you’d have if you were home early. You get home late, eat late and go to bed immediately without the food really digesting and you keep wondering why your belt isn’t going around your waist as it used to. How to tackle this is to either have an early meal before hitting the road or pack a ziplock with healthy fruits or snacks like groundnut, cashew nut etc.
Long hours of commuting also encourages a sedentary lifestyle, extended periods of inactivity can reduce metabolism and impair the body’s ability to control blood sugar levels, regulate blood pressure, and break down fat. Extended sitting includes desk jobs and behind the wheel,
When driving, you are not only mentally stressed you actually get physically exhausted from muscle tension and by the end of the day, you are completely wasted. If you can avoid driving please do engage carpooling services.
Work/Productivity: No matter how self-motivated you are Lagos traffic will humble you, it is almost impossible to give your best in the office after seating in a 3-hour traffic, you definitely have to work but you won’t deliver optimally because while you are almost getting over it its time to join the traffic back home and the circle continues. My heart goes out to people living at one extreme (mainland) and working on the other extreme(island) as they say “ las las we go de alright”.
Lagos is traffic, traffic is Lagos, there are so many closures and road construction going on concurrently. To move smart and avoid congestions use your google map to track your activity, listen to traffic updates and when it’s not so necessary to be out just at home these are the ways to stay sane in Lagos.
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