A recent study warned that driving more than two hours a day leads to a lower level of intelligence among drivers than those who walk or exercise.
The study, conducted by a team of researchers at the University of Leicester, UK, on the effect of sedentary behaviors on mental intelligence, said that the long-term adverse effect of driving does not only depend on the back and neck but extends to the vital functions of the brain.
Researchers analyzed the lifestyle of more than half a million Britons between the ages of 37 and 73 years over five years from 2006 to 2011, during which they tested intelligence and memory, and found that 93,000 of them were driving more than two to three hours a day , Their mental powers became weaker with the beginning of the study, and they deteriorated faster than others throughout the years of schooling.
The study suggests that the mind may be inactive during those hours when drivers drive their cars, and mental cognition is influenced by external factors that accompany driving, such as stress.
Driving requires multiple types of sensory processing, cost-effective decisions, precise motor control, and other mental and physical abilities.
"We know that driving regularly for more than two or three hours a day is harmful to heart health, but the new study has shown us a negative impact on the mind," says Kishan of Ukraine, a medical epidemiologist at Leicester University and principal investigator for the study. Also".
"We found that people who drove cars for more than two to three hours a day had less mental capacity, and IQ continued to decline throughout the study period, faster than those who did not drive or drive for a short time," he said. That the mind is less active in those hours.
The same study found similar results for those who watched television more than 3 hours a day, as their mental powers were weaker than others, and deteriorated faster than others.