Motorists have never had it so good. Forget global warming, noise pollution, the stress of congestion and the lack of exercise usually associated with cars: according to a government-funded survey, driving is good for you.

The evidence was unearthed last year and is reported by the Medical Research Council’s social and public health sciences unit in Glasgow. Ironically, the purpose of the report was to reduce our reliance on private cars and to promote public transport, but instead it found that car drivers benefited from increased self-esteem, sense of security and control over their lives.

All these factors lead to increased psychological wellbeing, which has been linked to better general health and happiness. The report has allowed for different economic factors, so this is not simply about car owners being wealthier and therefore happier.

Anne Ellaway, the psychologist who wrote the report with her colleagues, claims that there has always been a contradiction between the use of cars and health. “It is widely accepted that driving can lead to increased obesity, road traffic accidents and pollution,” she says.

“The paradox is that research has also shown that car owners are healthier and live longer. This has been explained away by saying that car owners come from a higher social class and have bigger incomes, which are connected to better health.

“[But] after eliminating the effects of age, social class and income, we found drivers to have better general health and less depression than people who used public transport.”

The study produced psychological profiles of the participants based on measurements in three key areas: self-esteem, control over one’s environment and security. In all areas those who had access to a car were found to generate higher scores than those who did not.

The results also measured the differences between male and female responses. The findings emphasised the practical rather than symbolic importance of cars in women’s lives. In particular it was found that security and a sense of being in control of their lives were more important factors for women, while for men the most important area was a sense of self-esteem.

Edmund King, executive director of the RAC Foundation, welcomed the findings. “We only hear about the negative side of cars,” he says. “Congestion, pollution and car crime are important but the car has given us immense freedom. Driving gives everyone a fuller life, particularly when they get older. I am not surprised it is good for your health.”

The findings are also backed by Dr Peter Marsh, a psychologist and co-director of the Social Issues Research Centre in Oxford. “We do get psychological satisfaction from being drivers. If a man has a good car, he would think better of himself, and that is good for his health,” he says. “It is one of the few areas where we are in control of our lives. We make all the decisions and we are in our own territory.”

Ellaway says she was surprised by the findings and intends to continue her research into what she sees as an important and under-reported truth.

“It showed that there is something about cars that is fundamentally good for people’s health and we should know more about that,” she says.

GETTING THE MEASURE OF HAPPINESS

The research involved a postal survey of 6,500 adults, of which 50% replied. The sample members were varied in terms of age (between 20 and 65), gender and socioeconomic characteristics. The responses were coded according to three subheadings: protection, autonomy and prestige.

Protection incorporated issues of comfort, privacy and safety in relation to other members of the public, while autonomy included aspects such as the convenience of cars, their reliability and the choices and sense of control afforded to motorists as opposed to those forced to rely on public transport. Finally, prestige covered factors such as image, self-esteem and status, with respondents asked to agree or disagree with statements such as: “When I travel by car it makes me feel like I am doing well in life.”

The statement was then repeated substituting “car” with “public transport”. The report linked these results with previous research that had shown how individuals who scored highly in the three categories were likely to be happier and healthier than those who did not.