Skip to main content

UK traffic jams cost drivers £426mn in wasted fuel, report claims

Traffic jams in the UK are costing the country's 8.2 million drivers US$683.31 million (£426mn) a year in wasted fuel, according to an estimate in a report by the analytics firm Inrix. The cost, which equates to £52 a vehicle, is on top of an estimated wasted driver time cost of £2.7bn. Out of the traffic on the country's roads during the day Inrix states that 19% is freight, with business vehicles passing on £1.1 billion of costs every year to consumers in order to cover the cost of them waiting in traffic
December 10, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
Traffic jams in the UK are costing the country's 8.2 million drivers US$683.31 million (£426mn) a year in wasted fuel, according to an estimate in a report by the analytics firm 5367 INRIX.

The cost, which equates to £52 a vehicle, is on top of an estimated wasted driver time cost of £2.7bn.

Out of the traffic on the country's roads during the day Inrix states that 19% is freight, with business vehicles passing on £1.1 billion of costs every year to consumers in order to cover the cost of them waiting in traffic.

Inrix argues that if up-to-date information was properly processed, congestion levels could be reduced by up to 10%. It points out that 40% of national congestion related costs can be attributed to London, despite only 33% of people there driving a car in comparison to 69% across the UK. However, it states that Manchester is the UK's most congested city. Despite this, Inrix claims that congestion levels have reduced by 11% over the past year, which it attributes to tougher economic conditions and higher fuel prices.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Road deaths: 'something must change' - GHSA
    March 4, 2024
    The ‘grim and tragic milestone' of a total four million deaths in the US requires renewed road safety action, says the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA).
  • A Wrong Turn
    April 16, 2012
    In the UK a pensioner made a wrong turn that could have ended in disaster. As the 85 year-old woman drove her car across a level crossing, she inexplicably turned onto the railway tracks and then proceeded to drive along them. She drove her Peugeot for some 75m before the car stopped, blocking the busy main line between London's Waterloo station and Bournemouth. The woman and her 20 year-old relative quickly got out of the car and the incident was immediately reported. Train services were stopped until the
  • US researcher develops congestion busting tool
    May 19, 2014
    Dr Shanjiang Zhu, assistant professor of engineering at George Mason University in Virginia, USA, is the recipient of the International Transport Forum’s 2014 Young Researcher of the Year Award. Dr Zhu was selected by an international jury of experts for his work on choosing the best strategies against traffic congestion. He is being presented with the distinction on 21st May in Leipzig, Germany during the opening plenary of the Annual Summit of transport ministers organised by the International Transport F
  • Haulotte Group sales up 13% in 2011 Q4
    March 2, 2012
    Haulotte Group (HG) increased its Q4 2011 sales by 13%, compared to the same period of 2010. The rise took consolidated October 1 to December 31 2011 sales to US$107.1million (€82.2 million) compared with $94.5million (€72.5million) in the same three months of last year.