Watch CBS News

Study: Long Commute Could Lead To Divorce, Separation

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Long commutes could be driving couples to divorce court.

A new study suggests the time you're spending on the roads and rails might be paving a path to separation or even divorce.

Scientists put new commuters under microscope in Sweden and discovered a long commute hikes the risk of divorce by 40 percent.

Commuting was found to be tougher on women than men and the risk of divorce is usually highest during the first few years of commuting.

Many divorce lawyers say the results ring true.

"If you've certainly got a case where both parents are working and one parent has to commute and travel more and the other stay at home parent, be it the husband or the wife, has to work and take care of children that's trouble," Tamara Mitchell tells CBS 2's Lou Young.

Long distance commutes are just a part of everyday life for New Yorkers but it's a relatively new phenomenon in Sweden.

Case in point, while New Yorkers have the longest average commute in the country, they also have one of the lowest divorce rates.

So there are, naturally, other factors to consider when looking into the deterioration of unions. Experts point out that the economy has been straining New York marriages for years now.

So what can be done to prevent the commute from killing your marriage? Working from home is apparently not the answer. Some experts believe not enough space can be as stressful as too much.

Divorce lawyer Alayne Katz says telecommuting is even a greater problem than driving long distances.

Some matrimonial lawyers are seeing marriages come apart when the commute vanishes.

"All of a sudden a marriage where one of the parties was out of the house a solid twelve hours a day are now in the house and that is putting a greater stress on the marriages that I see in divorce," Katz said.

Do you think commuting can ruin a marriage? Sound off below...


View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.