Whether you drive, ride a bus, bike, or take the subway, the morning rush to work often leads to slow-moving traffic that can slow you down. Rush hour traffic can lead to wait times of over an hour every day, and that’s a lot of time for you spent waiting around. Not only is that frustrating when you’re trying to get to work or back home, it can also lead to frustration from other drivers, which can lead to dangerous driving situations. We’ve come up with our favorite ways to stay entertained during rush hour traffic, as well as a few tips for safer driving during rush hour.
In order to stay safe from drivers experiencing road rage in the rush hours, here are a few tips:
Try to organize your schedule so that you are driving either before or after the rush hours. The more you can avoid these hours, the less chance you have of being in a rush hour accident.
Drive safely and respectfully yourself. Even if you are late for work or an appointment, remember that most people on the road are likely in a hurry to get to their jobs or important events as well. If you keep your cool, it’s more likely that others will keep theirs and you'll all arrive safely.
Always have other routes mapped out for your commute. If an accident occurs or if traffic is particularly heavy due to a holiday or event, you may need to have a backup route. It could be a longer route, but with the heavier traffic on your main route, you may not end up being any later than you would have been.
Take a defensive driving course and learn how to watch cars around you for clues about what they may be about to do. If you can be responsive very quickly, you’ll be able to stay safer.
For many people, rush hour is the best time of the day to get in some entertainment. If you work long hours or have a very busy personal life, you may not have the chance to zone out with TV or movies every night. Your rush hour commute can be a great way to get some entertainment in your life.
Here are some ideas for beating boredom while you’re sitting in rush hour traffic:
This is a classic commuter activity, and for a very good reason. There are podcasts on every subject under the sun. If you like watching TV, there are plenty of fiction podcasts (called “audio dramas”) that give you a TV-style story that you don’t need to see to get immersed in. There are also plenty of non-fiction podcasts, ranging from discussions on sports or pop culture, to inspirational podcasts like TED Talks or podcasts by life coaches.
If you’ve been missing all the time you had to read when you were younger, audiobooks will be your favorite way to spend a long commute. You can sign up for a subscription through Audible, which is the most popular way to consume audio books, or even check out digital audiobooks through your library if they offer them. Audiobooks also come in all genres and subject matter, from the best new fiction to old classics to history books, self-help books, and more.
There’s nothing like a car ride for giving you time to sing along to your favorite songs. But if the top hits on the radio are getting repetitive morning after morning and you’d rather avoid the commercials and mindless talk show segments, you can use the time to give yourself a more personalized experience. Sign up for a music service like Spotify or Pandora and start discovering new things in genres you love. Or build yourself a long playlist of songs that you love and put it on shuffle for the mornings.
Carpool with a friendly coworker, or a friend that works close by your own office. You can kill two birds with one stone by carpooling with someone that you’ve been wanting to catch up with more often. Rush hour is a great time for some friendly conversation before the busy day gets started. You’ll be entertained, you’ll feel less guilty about missing out on fun nights hanging out together, and you’ll also be doing your part to reduce traffic and pollution.
If you aren’t as interested in entertainment, there are ways that you can efficiently use the time you spend waiting around in slow traffic. Here are some ways to make this time more productive, so at least you feel like you’re getting some things done:
Use this time to work on a new skill, such as learning a new language, or building your career-related knowledge. You can do this with instructional audiobooks, educational podcasts, or apps on your phone that offer hands-free learning if you're driving. If you’ve been trying to learn a new mental skill, this time can be spent listening to instruction or lectures. Another great way to build your skills and knowledge while in traffic is to enroll in some audio e-learning courses through a source like Great Courses or Udemy.
Use the dictation app on your phone to make notes for your work day, or to hash out ideas for your latest side venture or business idea. Did you know that many authors “write” their books by dictating their first draft, and typing up their recordings later? Consider subscribing to a service like Dragon Dictation to try your hand at writing a book through dictation if you want to skip the typing.
Make sure you bring along an extra charger and battery. If you are using your phone for entertainment or productivity during your morning commute, be sure you have a dedicated phone charger that never leaves your car. This will definitely save you long hours of boredom during the worst of the rush hour.
The rush hour is the perfect time to tune in to a podcast or radio show that gives you the highlights of all the latest news. You can fine tune your news feed to things you truly care about, such as news from overseas, or just the financial news, or you can get a general overview of the latest news stories from major networks.
Consider turning your rush hour commute into a workout. Granted, not everyone can implement this final tip. But if you live close enough to your job that you can bike or jog, and then change at work, it may be worthwhile to turn these wasted hours into your daily workout.
These are our favorite tips for turning your boring commute into something fun or productive – or both! Hopefully these ideas will help you avoid the dreaded road rage that can come with a crowded highway during the rush hours. One thing that we all need when on the road is great coverage in case of accidents. You may be able to control your own road rage, but what about others?
At Freedom National, we are proud to offer a wide range of plans to help you stay covered while you drive to work. Get a free quote online to learn how we can help you save money while you stay safe.