How do You Get Around? Mode of Transportation Alters Mood

A crummy commute can make all the difference in your daily mood, according to a recent study conducted by researchers from Clemson University in South Carolina.

"We found that people are in the best mood while they are bicycling compared to any other mode of transportation," said Eric Morris, lead author on the study and assistant professor in Clemson's planning, development and preservation department, via a press release. 

As far as the happiest commuters are concerned, Morris mentioned cyclists, who tend to be younger and more enthusiastic individuals, overall.

"Bicyclists are generally younger and physically healthy, which are traits that happier people usually possess," he added, via the release.

The study showed that emotions, including happiness, pain, stress, sadness and fatigue, can greatly vary depending on the type of transportation. To determine the mood based on certain types of travel, researchers used data from the American Time Use Survey, collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The study showed that the second happiest group, on the other hand, were car passengers. Drivers come in third, followed by bus and train riders, who seem to suffer from the most negative commuting experiences, according to the study.

"Understanding the relationship between how we travel and how we feel offers insight into ways of improving existing transportation services, prioritizing investments and theorizing and modeling the costs and benefits of travel," said Morris.

More information regarding the findings can be seen via the journal Transportation.