New research from INRIX reveals there were over 1.35 million traffic jams in the past year on the UK’s major roads[1], costing drivers an estimated £9 billion. The causes of the five worst queues ranged from fuel spills to broken down lorries.
November 2016 was the worst month in terms of volume with over 169,000 traffic jams on the UK’s major roads – 50% worse than average. However, traffic jams across the month of April proved the most severe, with the research revealing they were 24% worse than average. The year’s worst traffic jam occurred on 4th August 2017 on the M5 Northbound by Junction 20. Traffic tailed back 35 miles at the peak, and the jam lasted 15 hours, resulting in an estimated cost of £2.4 million to road users.
The cost of traffic jams is composed of the value of wasted time, fuel and unnecessary carbon emissions. Estimates were made based on assumptions about trip purpose and the fuel consumption of the average vehicle, with national averages used as a basis for these values.
Dr Graham Cookson, Chief Economist, INRIX commented:
“While queuing is considered a national pastime for many Brits, nothing is more frustrating than sitting in traffic and INRIX Roadway Analytics shows it’s a costly activity. Jams can be caused by all kinds of incidents but the INRIX Incident Platform shows that fuel spillages, emergency repairs and broken down lorries contributed to the biggest pile-ups this year.”
“As we head into November, the worst month for traffic jams last year, we advise motorists use the latest real-time traffic technology to keep up to date with the situation on the roads.”
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