Manchester drivers 'suffer worst congestion'

Date: 31/1/2012

Drivers in Manchester have to contend with the worst congestion in the UK and spend an average of 1 hour 55 minutes in their car when commuting during peak times.

This is according to new traffic research conducted by Direct Line, which found motorists in the city travel at an average of 13.3 mph when on the road in rush hour.

The average speed in London when traffic is congested stood at 14.4 mph, with motorists in the capital commuting for an average distance of 17.8 miles each way.

Across the country as a whole, almost a third (29 per cent) of commuters said travelling by car was the only feasible way of getting to and from work.

Head of car insurance at the firm Steve Price said long commuting times can be a problem for drivers and urged them to check their route for potential problems before leaving home.

"When drivers frequently experience long queues and are worried about being late getting to work, it is easy to get frustrated by the situation," he observed.

Those travelling on A roads and motorways may find their journeys are less stressful, as figures from the Department for Transport show 82.7 per cent of trips of this type were completed on time in the year to November 2011.

Posted by Mary Treen