http://time.com/9912/10-things-your-commute-does-to-your-bod...
The inescapable conclusion is that we should get rid of seat belts, mount the driver in a plexiglass bubble in front of the front bumper, and put a bloody great spike in the middle of the steering wheel.
Any takers?
Ridiculous.
That's like saying that decreasing did production will make people use food smarter and starve less. It'll improve the efficiency of food usage, but fewer people won't starve.
Steering wheel spikes will improve driver habits, but people won't be safer overall.
http://bigthink.com/neurobonkers/the-bike-helmet-paradox
Your "inescapable conclusion" would probably depend on whether the driver actually perceived the increase in risk. The spike and bubble might, but removing airbags might not.
For example, a common strategy is to narrow a road from 4 lanes to 2 with a center median, being either a turn lane, planter with half height jersey barrier (directs cars wheels back onto the roadway), or barrels filled with water (which absorbs impacts and makes roads much safer). Tactics like these make roads feel more claustrophobic and thus "dangerous", but the road is ultimately much safer in the event of an accident, and accidents are less likely due to drivers being more alert because of the narrow roadway.
TL;DR: Wide roads lull you into a false sense of safety, narrow them!
Some things make us much more safe, but don't actually increase safety much (seatbelts).
The latter increase safety (for drivers, at least--they could conceivably decrease safety for pedestrians). The former do not.
The trend in most systems is towards inward-facing seats along the sides for the very lucky few, a huge mass of standees in the middle (the denser the better until additional passengers physically can't make it on), and width of seats/separation between seated passengers makes basic economy on a budget airline feel positively luxurious.
Off-peak errands and entertainment on public transport can be fine, but not commuting. How anyone can find physical contact with strangers in a cramped, enclosed space less stressful than driving is way beyond me.
I believe it's slower than driving, on average, (especially with the non-express trains) but the variance is lower (fewer traffic accidents).
Have you tried living in a country made for people, as opposed to cars?
Like, just about anywhere in Europe.
Presumably, the increased stress is why they drive slower in the first place, which should then have a canceling effect lowering their stress back to the original level.