Road rage due to traffic jams is not a new phenomenon to New Yorkers. Commuters in the City Of Dreams now annually waste approximately 53 hours being stuck behind the wheel due to road congestion. Economic growth and prosperity also earned the Big Apple another distinction - that of being dubbed one of the worst traffic cities in America. New York traffic now ranks fifth on the Top Ten list for worst traffic in the USA.
Stress, frustration and road rage due to over-crowded roads are some of the negative side-effects of modern times. Few things are more stressful and frustrating than missing a deadline or an important event or meeting due to being stuck in slow-moving traffic. It is thus small wonder that commuters these days shoot, attack and kill one another for the slightest provocation.
The latest statistics put New York City at number five on the Top Ten List for worst traffic conditions in the USA. According to the report, New York commuters now waste 20% more time being stuck in traffic than before - an average of 53 hours per year! The loss in productive time is not the only factor to consider. Road rage incidents are reaching epidemic proportions across the world and are contributing to the already alarming death toll rate due to road accidents.
Another factor to consider is the health implications that this daily stress and frustrations have on commuters' physical, emotional and psychological well-being. The most common modern illnesses such as cancer, diabetes and heart attacks are all mostly stress-related. Being stuck in a car for hours also robs one of valuable exercising time and further contributes to an already obese, physically unfit society.
Most people know the frustration and feeling of helplessness one experiences when one is in a hurry and suddenly forced to a crawling pace or standstill when the road is blocked due to an accident or construction work. If this frustration and stress become part of one's daily routine, it inevitably leads to so-called modern illnesses like cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes and heart problems.
Commuters shooting or attacking one another with baseball bats or whatever weapon they can lay their hands on over the slightest incident or perceived insult are as common as sport results in daily newspapers and TV broadcasts. And yet, the more affluent a city becomes economically, the bigger the traffic problems that ensue as more people flock to the city and can afford to buy cars.
The fact that New York is not the only city affected by this problem does not make it easier. The opposite is more true - if a top world city like New York has no idea how to combat the problem, what hope is there for third world cities that do not have the money, means or expertise and where the population growth is ten times bigger than in first world countries?
The fact that such anti-congestion tolling systems have proven to work in some cities such as London, does not necessarily mean it will be equally successful in other cities. Any campaign aimed at raising public support for such a system will have to focus on switching public opinion where it matters, namely offering tangible advantages to the commuters.
Stress, frustration and road rage due to over-crowded roads are some of the negative side-effects of modern times. Few things are more stressful and frustrating than missing a deadline or an important event or meeting due to being stuck in slow-moving traffic. It is thus small wonder that commuters these days shoot, attack and kill one another for the slightest provocation.
The latest statistics put New York City at number five on the Top Ten List for worst traffic conditions in the USA. According to the report, New York commuters now waste 20% more time being stuck in traffic than before - an average of 53 hours per year! The loss in productive time is not the only factor to consider. Road rage incidents are reaching epidemic proportions across the world and are contributing to the already alarming death toll rate due to road accidents.
Another factor to consider is the health implications that this daily stress and frustrations have on commuters' physical, emotional and psychological well-being. The most common modern illnesses such as cancer, diabetes and heart attacks are all mostly stress-related. Being stuck in a car for hours also robs one of valuable exercising time and further contributes to an already obese, physically unfit society.
Most people know the frustration and feeling of helplessness one experiences when one is in a hurry and suddenly forced to a crawling pace or standstill when the road is blocked due to an accident or construction work. If this frustration and stress become part of one's daily routine, it inevitably leads to so-called modern illnesses like cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes and heart problems.
Commuters shooting or attacking one another with baseball bats or whatever weapon they can lay their hands on over the slightest incident or perceived insult are as common as sport results in daily newspapers and TV broadcasts. And yet, the more affluent a city becomes economically, the bigger the traffic problems that ensue as more people flock to the city and can afford to buy cars.
The fact that New York is not the only city affected by this problem does not make it easier. The opposite is more true - if a top world city like New York has no idea how to combat the problem, what hope is there for third world cities that do not have the money, means or expertise and where the population growth is ten times bigger than in first world countries?
The fact that such anti-congestion tolling systems have proven to work in some cities such as London, does not necessarily mean it will be equally successful in other cities. Any campaign aimed at raising public support for such a system will have to focus on switching public opinion where it matters, namely offering tangible advantages to the commuters.
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