Is there anyone who enjoys spending their time in congested traffic? Perhaps listening to an audiobook or podcast can make the experience bearable, but for many drivers around the world it is still a daily annoyance. Traffic jams, rush hour congestion, stop-and-go traffic – whatever you call it, it has a negative impact on more than just drivers, as business and economic growth are also adversely affected.
“Congestion costs the US hundreds of billions of dollars, and threatens future economic growth and lowers our quality of life,” said Dr. Graham Cookson, chief economist at INRIX. “If we’re to avoid traffic congestion becoming a further drain on our economy, we must invest in intelligent transportation systems to tackle our mobility challenges.”
Once again, INRIX has analyzed traffic congestion in 1,360 cities across 38 countries worldwide to identify the world’s most congested cities. For the sixth year in a row, Los Angeles tops the list, while South Bend, Indiana saw a 25 percent reduction in peak hours spent in congestion compared to the previous year.
The INRIX 2017 Traffic Scorecard places both direct and indirect costs on the time wasted in traffic. According to the report, direct costs refer to the value of fuel and time wasted, while indirect costs are linked to freight and business fees from company vehicles idling in traffic, which are passed on to households through higher prices.
In 2017, congestion cost US drivers $305 billion, an average of $1,445 per driver. Drivers spent 41 hours in traffic a year on average during peak hours. In Los Angeles, the average was 102 hours, followed by New York at 91 hours and San Francisco at 79 hours.
The United States wasn’t the only place that had drivers wasting time in congestion. Drivers in Moscow also had an average of 91 hours and found themselves tied with New York for the number two spot. Sao Paulo found themselves in the top five congested cities of the world with an average of 86 hours wasted in traffic.
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