driving for two hours a day is making you stupid

Bad news for anyone about to hit that post-work traffic. And just one more reason to hate the extortionate house prices in central Auckland...

A new study - that observed over half a million people - has found evidence that suggests driving for two or more hours a day is making you stupid.

The study focused on middle-aged Brits aged between 37-73, and observed their driving habits for five years.

Kishan Bakrania, a medical epidemiologist from the University of Leicester, who was part of the team that carried out the study, explained to the Sunday Times: "Cognitive decline is measurable over five years because it can happen fast in middle-aged and older people."

"This is associated with lifestyle factors such as smoking and bad diet - and now with time spent driving. We know that regularly driving for more than two or three hours a day is bad for your heart."

"This research suggests it is bad for your brain too, perhaps because your mind is less active in those hours."

"Driving causes stress and fatigue, with studies showing the links between them and cognitive decline."

On that note, unsurprisingly, the study also found watching more than two hours of TV a day can also lead to a lower IQ...

"When watching TV, your brain is less active but using a computer is stimulating," Bakrania added.

Well... at least there's a silver lining for any of you suckers working in an office like me... I guess.