Greeks use car to cover even short distances, survey finds

Four in five Greek drivers use their cars to cover even short trips of up to 4 kilometers, in contrast to drivers from other European countries who tend to walk such distances, a survey has found.

“The most important consequence of the special love that Greeks show for the car is the voluntary deterioration of drivers’ health, due to the prevalence of a sedentary lifestyle and the resulting physical inactivity,” said Yiannis Koutedakis, professor emeritus in applied physiology, commenting on the findings.

He said that every year, approximately six million people worldwide die from causes associated with physical inactivity, such as a weak musculoskeletal system, chronic diseases (cardiovascular, various types of cancer, metabolic syndrome, etc.), as well as from a decrease in memory skills or mental disorders.

On the contrary, by choosing to walk instead of driving four kilometers – a distance that corresponds to approximately 5,000 steps of gentle walking for 45-50 minutes – people take almost all the steps required daily in order to maintain, or even improve, their physical and mental health, he added.

Koutedakis estimates that the total health-related cost of physical inactivity in Greece exceeds 1 billion euros annually.

“The environment will also benefit from choosing to walk instead of drive. Driving an average vehicle for 4 kilometers produces as much carbon dioxide as an adult breathing for about 30 hours, or about 280kg per year when using the car for only 250 days,” he said.

Kathimerini