Ford India undertook a new survey on factors causing stress to car drivers in India as part of smart mobility experiments in search of solutions to transport challenges. Riding bumper to bumper on congested Indian roads was a primary cause of concern for most drivers with 63% stating that road congestion was what was causing them most stress.
Besides congested roads, 56% of Indian drivers also found stress levels rising due to parking constraints while 45% drivers were stressed due to fear of accidents.
Rising fuel prices and traffic fines also caused stress in 37% and 34% of drivers respectively. Hitting an animal (30%) that is commonly seen loitering on Indian roads, hitting pedestrians (26%) or knocking down cyclists (23%) also caused stress among drivers in the country.
Ford India Study also indicated that Indian drivers spent the most amount of time driving as compared to their counterparts in countries such as Australia, China, Thailand or Philippines. 49% drivers in India spend 12 hours each week or 100 minutes each day in their cars.
Besides conducting this survey, Ford India Study also learnt how some drivers deal with this stress. While some drivers listen to music while on the road, a good 47% of Indian drivers surveyed stated that they sang or listened to music while driving. 33% drivers said that singing aloud their favorite songs beat all other stress relieving techniques.
Ford India has designed their cars keeping in mind the road conditions here. Their new cars, Figo Aspire, Figo, and EcoSport feature in-car connectivity system SYNC with Applink. This allows drivers to control their phone, entertainment and apps hands-free using simple voice commands; and thereby helping in reducing stress.
