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Spending more than forty five minutes commuting each day can significantly increase the likelihood of divorce according to a new study. The research, which was conducted by Erika Sandow of the Umeå University in Sweden, revealed that couples were forty per cent more likely to separate if one spouse engaged in a lengthy daily commute. Experts added that an individual is likely to be too tired to contribute to housework after travelling and that this can cause conflict within relationships. Men were far more likely to engage in long distance commutes and Sandow commented that this could potentially reinforce traditional, negative gender stereotypes such as breadwinners and housewives. Her research also showed that the chances of a couple separating were unaffected by whether it was the husband or wife engaging in the daily commute, however. The risk of divorce is far greater during the first few years of marriage, with couple’s concepts of an idyllic marriage giving way to day to day life during this period. Sandow also noted that many couples are successfully managing their situations, however, suggesting that “those who are managing have worked out a strategy of how to divide the household and organize their day in a way that works out for both partners. You have to create strategies on how to manage daily and remember the commute is not only affecting the commuter but those who stay at home.” Figures from the Office for National statistics show that seventy five per cent of workers within the UK could reach their places of work in less than thirty minutes with that figure dropping to forty four per cent for employees travelling to London.