It is not surprising that Mumbai (India) has emerged as the ‘World’s Most Stressful City of 2021 for Driving’ in a recent survey conducted by the UK- based car-sharing company Hiyacar.
Several parameters were used to determine the driving stress. These include total population, population density, the number of vehicles, road conditions, accidents per year due to traffic, availability of public transport, and more.
Most Mumbai residents dread getting their cars out on the roads. Worst traffic, congestion, honking, and pathetic road conditions give Mumbaikars a harrowing experience every day.
Survey reveals maximum drivers have agreed to feel extreme stress and burden while driving in Mumbai city.
Why Mumbai City Is Ranking on Top of the Table as the ‘World’s Most Stressful City of 2021 to Drive In’?
Mumbai Traffic scored highest at 7.4, followed by Paris with a score of 6.4. Mumbai is the most densely populated with an average of 20694 people per square kilometer. Compared to this, London has only 5614 people per square kilometer.
Also, Mumbai has 57,500,000 vehicles on the street, which accounts for 53% of road congestion. As compared to this, Paris, which ranks second in driving stress, has 20460 people in a square kilometer and 32,005,986 cars.
Also, poor road quality is attributed to accidents and an increase in stress levels. Mumbai has around 8 types of transportation yet the population and congestion make it rank number 1 in the survey.
Some other reasons are: there is no awareness of road safety and driving, other drivers, and getting lost raises the anxiety volume.
How Do Mumbaikars Handle the Stress of Driving in Mumbai Traffic Jams?
There are several ways to manage your frustration and anger on an individual level:
- Deep breath in from the nose and exhale out through the mouth
- Listening to music when driving can relieve stress
- Changing sitting position or comfortable sitting position can relief
- Turn off your phone and focusing only on driving also helps
What Steps Can Be Taken to Bring Back Mumbai Traffic into 10 Least Stressful Cities in the World List by the Next Survey?
At the Government level, improving public transport and road conditions can reduce road congestion and accidents. Also, better roads would mean easy traffic movement and less pressure for those driving. Also, spreading awareness can help.
If you want Mumbai to be in the least 10 stressed cities, several steps at a personal level must also be taken. Using public transport and ride-sharing are some of the moves will help to overcome heavy road traffic, thereby reducing driving tension.
Here Are the Results of the Top 10 Stressful Cities in the World to Drive in Based on Hiyacar’s Score Out of 10:
| SN | City | Country | Scores |
| 1 | Mumbai | India | 7.4 |
| 2 | Paris | France | 6.4 |
| 3 | Jakarta | Indonesia | 6.0 |
| 4 | Delhi | India | 5.9 |
| 5 | New York | United States | 5.6 |
| 6 | Kuala Lumpur | Malaysia | 5.3 |
| 7 | Nagoya | Japan | 5.1 |
| 8 | London | United Kingdom | 5.0 |
| 9 | Mexico City | Mexico | 4.9 |
| 10 | Osaka | Japan | 4.9 |
Here Are the Results of the 10 Least Stressful Cities in the World to Drive in Based on Hiyacar’s Score Out of 10:
| SN | City | Country | Scores |
| 1 | Lima | Peru | 2.1 |
| 2 | Dongguan | China | 2.4 |
| 3 | Tianjin | China | 2.6 |
| 4 | Hangzhou | China | 2.6 |
| 5 | Sao Paulo | Brazil | 2.7 |
| 6 | Nanjing | China | 2.7 |
| 7 | Bogota | Colombia | 2.7 |
| 8 | Shenzhen | China | 2.9 |
| 9 | Buenos Aires | Argentina | 3.0 |
| 10 | Shanghai | China | 3.1 |
With a score of 2.1, Peru’s capital city, Lima is named the least stressful city in the world for driving. They have the fewest traffic accidents.