UK commuters spend 10 days a year in traffic

We’re now wasting more time stuck in traffic than ever before, as last year the average car journey took 27% longer than it would have done if the road was clear.

That’s a rise of 1% compared to 2012, while the report by TomTom also found that 10 of the UK’s biggest cities now have more congestion than they did 12 months ago.

Europe’s top 10 most congested cities

Fewer people commuting but distances on the up

London, Brighton, Sheffield, Nottingham, Leicester, Birmingham, Portsmouth, Cardiff, Belfast and Southampton have all seen traffic levels increase, while Edinburgh, Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle and Glasgow failed to improve.

Belfast is the most congested city in the UK, according to TomTom, with morning commutes taking 78% longer than when traffic is flowing well.

London comes in second place, with journey times 34% slower than average, rising to 63% in the evening rush hour.

If you try to avoid congestion by steering clear of main roads, you may actually be delaying yourself further, as the report found that local roads have twice as much lost travel time (32%) than main roads (15%).

And the average commuter will now spend 10 working days sat in traffic, compared to just nine days a year ago.

TomTom’s report comes after the company analysed over 10 trillion pieces of data worldwide, finding that Moscow is the most congested city in the world.

TomTom CEO Harold Goddijn said: “Traffic congestion is nothing new, and continues to be a global challenge. The traditional responses to congestion – such as building new roads or widening existing ones – are no longer proving to be effective.”

Europe’s top 10 most congested cities

Fewer people commuting but distances on the up

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By motoringresearch.com