TomTom’s quarterly Congestion Index sees Dublin landing just shy of the top 5 most congested cities in Europe, with Warsaw, Poland, taking the top spot.
The latest European Congestion Index identifies and analyses traffic congestion in 31 urban areas in Europe, from January to March 2012, based on real travel-time data from vehicles using the entire road network.
The index compares travel times during non-congested periods (free flow) with travel times in peak hours and the difference is expressed as a percentage increase in travel time – the congestion level.
“Over the years, with the help of our customers, we have built the largest and most accurate database of travel times in the world,” said Harold Goddijn, chief executive officer of TomTom. “When we combine this travel database with our detailed real-time traffic information and routing technology, we can not only pin-point congestion, but can guide drivers away from congested areas onto faster routes.”
Traffic stats for Dublin
Overall, European cities have an average congestion level of 24pc. Warsaw topped the list with a congestion level of 42pc, followed by Marseille, France (41pc); Rome, Italy (34pc); Brussels, Belgium (34pc); and Paris, France (32pc).
Dublin’s congestion level is at 30pc overall, but during morning rush hour, journeys are, on average, 70pc longer, while the evening peak sees a 63pc increase.
Mondays and Fridays are the days that see the least congestion, while Tuesdays and Thursdays are the days where you may be better off leaving the car at home.
In peak periods, drivers can be delayed by an average of 39 minutes per hour driven, totting up to an average delay of 90 hours per year with a 30-minute commute.
Traffic image via Shutterstock
