Commuting must be what purgatory is like. You're neither here nor there, trying to get somewhere you're not sure you want to go.

More and more people are seeking to make productive use of their drive time by getting a jump on the work day, but safety experts warn that talking on a cell phone — even handsfree — or anything too distracting can raise the risk for a traffic accident.

So, how do you make the most of your commute?

Try to enjoy it, these experts say.

That may be easier said than done, but perhaps you don't have a choice. Carpooling and mass transit are great ideas, but they don't work for the vast majority of today's commuters, who often aren't following the old commute-to-work pattern of inner suburb to big city.

Instead, they're traveling from suburb to suburb, or rural area to outer suburb, or even from a city out to a suburb — all a result of jobs moving out of urban centers and people moving ever farther from big cities because of ballooning real estate prices.

Train and bus lines haven't kept up with this development. Non-regular hours also limit carpooling options. Plus, "most people are working in organizations that tend to be smaller than in the past," says Alan Pisarski, a transportation consultant. "The odds of having somebody near you going where you're going, when you're going are very slim."

And so, the average commute keeps getting longer and longer.

___

BY THE NUMBERS

Americans spend more than 100 hours commuting to work each year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

That's more than the two weeks of vacation time — 80 hours — many people get each year.

For most commuters, that means driving. Between the traffic jams, general aggravation and lost sleep, what are the keys to a bearable commute?

"There are a lot of people who do get some benefit out of it and see it as a valuable time in their day," Pisarski says. "I don't know if I'm going to sound stupid saying: 'Well, look on the bright side.' But I guess I am saying that."

Further, relaxed drivers make safer drivers, says Peter Kissinger, president of the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.

The daily commute "gives you a time by yourself where you don't have the workday stress directly infringing on you and maybe whatever life or family stress you might have as you get home," he says. "So you have that sort of window in the morning and the evening as a little break."

___

DOS AND DON'TS

Some drive-time tips include:

1) Easy listening. Listen to something soothing but not too distracting, like music or books on tape. "Talking on a cell phone is distracting," Kissinger says. And, it doesn't matter if you're using a handsfree. "The primary distraction is not necessarily the physical or the visual, but it is literally the cognitive distraction of being engrossed in that conversation," he says. If anything, handsfree devices falsely lull a user into thinking what they're doing is safe, he adds. "What they end up doing is spending more time talking on the cell phone and having more complex conversations."

2) Comfort. The auto industry has taken notice of longer drive times and is luring car-buyers with ergonomic chairs, slots to plug in an iPod and built-in satellite radio — in addition to the now-ubiquitous cup holder. Kissinger is against Bluetooth in the car, though. "Oh, no," he says.

3) Mix it up. Varying routes and drive times can make the commute less monotonous. Other tactics include avoiding the morning rush by arriving early to use a gym near work, or escaping the evening jam by having dinner near the office and going home later. But, don't let avoiding traffic take over your life. "I've heard of some extremes of people here in Washington who drive to work and get to work at like 6 o'clock in the morning so they've beaten all the traffic, and sometimes they just sleep in the car until it's time to work," Pisarski says. "To me, I can't think of any better measure of the fact that the system is failing."

4) See if you can telecommute some days. Many workers feel guilty even asking if they can work from home. How do you prove you're not slacking off? Won't your co-workers resent you? Over time, though, more and more people will be working an occasional day at home and staying connected electronically. With no relief to lengthening commutes in sight, this is what the future looks like.

___

Stephanie Hoo is asap's business writer.

Only registered users can write comments.
Please login or register.