Traffic jams total 1.35m a year and cost £9bn
THERE WERE MORE than 1.35 million traf c jams in the UK between September 2016 and August 2017, equating to more than 3700 every day, according to new research from traf c analyst Inrix. These have cost drivers an estimated £9 billion.the causes of the ve worst hold-ups ranged from fuel spills to broken-down lorries. November 2016 had the highest number of traf c jams at more than 169,000 – 50% higher than average. Hold-ups in April were the most severe, with the study revealing that they were 24% worse than average.
The worst traf c jam in the 12-month period occurred on 4 August 2017 on the M5.traf c tailed back 35 miles at its worst and the hold-up lasted 15 hours, resulting in an estimated cost of £2.4m to road users.
Other major incidents included three separate traf c jams on the M6, each causing delays of at least seven hours.the worst one cost the economy more than £1.1m.
The cost of traf c jams is based on the value of wasted time and fuel and unnecessary carbon emissions. Estimates were made based on assumptions about trip purpose and fuel consumption of an average vehicle, with national averages used as a basis for these values. White remains the most popular car colour in the UK, accounting for a quarter of sales, followed by grey (21%) and black (19%), says car paint firm PPG. Brits buy the most red cars in Europe; red accounts for one in 10 sales in the UK, compared with one in 33 in Germany. Across Europe, white is also the most popular colour, particularly for luxury and compact cars and MPVS. European buyers prefer blue for sports cars more than any other car type.