A US study shows that drivers in Los Angeles spend the most time stuck in traffic of any in the world. Although it was mostly US cities that scored badly for congestion, three European cities are also highly clogged.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/J. C. Hong
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The world's worst traffic
Traffic analytics firm Inrix has calculated how much time drivers spend stuck in traffic during peak travel times in 1,064 cities in 38 countries worldwide. Here are some of the most congested:
Image: Xuan Thang Nguyen
The worst traffic in the world: Los Angeles
When it comes to getting stuck in traffic on the way to and from work, Los Angeles leads the world. Drivers in car-crazy California spend 104 hours per year in congestion during peak travel periods. That's more than two weeks spent in a car…
Image: picture-alliance/Frank Duenzl
Muscovites need to be patient
That topped second place Moscow at 91 hours. One of the main reasons for traffic jams in the Russian capital is the fact that roads make up a relatively small proportion of the total space of the city.
Image: Getty Images/Y.Kadobnov
Traffic horror in New York
New Yorkers spend 89 hours in their cars. Five of the top ten cities on Inrix's list of the most congested areas in the world are in the US, making it the most congested developed country on the planet.
Image: picture alliance/dpa/blickwinkel
If you're going to San Francisco...
The morning commute on the Golden Gate Bridge can cost time and money in equal measure. Being stuck in traffic costs the average US driver about $1,400 (1,318 euros) and nearly $300 billion (28 billion euros) for all drivers nationwide.
Image: Getty Images/J.Sullivan
Bleak outlook
Vehicle congestion in Sao Paulo, which made it to place six with drivers spending 77 hours stuck in traffic. While road supply will stagnate, the demand to use it is expected to continue to rise.
Image: picture alliance/dpa/C.Faga
Jam in London
The UK was found to be the third-worst affected country in Europe for traffic congestion. According to analysts, online shopping is one reason for the rising levels, with delivery vans clogging the roads.
Image: Getty Images/S.Barbour
Growing pains
Due to the fact that Inrix doesn't gather its own data in either China or Japan, cities in those countries were not ranked. Nevertheless, traffic in the region's rapidly-expanding cities has worsened.
Image: picture alliance/dpa/W.Lei
African drivers trapped in traffic
Africa also isn't covered by the report because Inrix doesn't collect its own data there. For example, Lagos, the largest city in Nigeria, is heavily affected by traffic. One of the reasons for the terrible traffic situation is the city's financial hub, which sits on an island with only limited access. If an accident occurs on these roads, the entire city gets backed up.
Image: Getty Images/P.U.Ekpei
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Drivers in Los Angeles spent 104 hours last year staring at the bumper of the car in front, according to a study by transportation analytics firm Inrix, making them the longest-suffering road users in the world when it comes to congestion.
The study, released on Monday, showed the United States had 5 of the 10 most traffic-clogged areas in the world. It also had the worst congestion among rich, developed economies, with drivers there spending an average of 42 hours per year fighting slow traffic.
Moscow took second place, with motorists sitting in traffic jams for 91 hours, followed by New York on 89. However, Moscow drivers had it worst in terms of the percentage of driving time spent in congested traffic, at 25.2 percent compared with 12.7 percent for those in Los Angeles
All the other cities on the so-called Global Traffic Scorecard were either in North or South America, except for London in seventh place and Paris in ninth.
The study did not rank cities in either Japan or China, as Inrix does not gather its own data there, but still covered 1,064 cities worldwide across 38 countries.
The world's worst traffic
Traffic analytics firm Inrix has calculated how much time drivers spend stuck in traffic during peak travel times in 1,064 cities in 38 countries worldwide. Here are some of the most congested:
Image: Xuan Thang Nguyen
The worst traffic in the world: Los Angeles
When it comes to getting stuck in traffic on the way to and from work, Los Angeles leads the world. Drivers in car-crazy California spend 104 hours per year in congestion during peak travel periods. That's more than two weeks spent in a car…
Image: picture-alliance/Frank Duenzl
Muscovites need to be patient
That topped second place Moscow at 91 hours. One of the main reasons for traffic jams in the Russian capital is the fact that roads make up a relatively small proportion of the total space of the city.
Image: Getty Images/Y.Kadobnov
Traffic horror in New York
New Yorkers spend 89 hours in their cars. Five of the top ten cities on Inrix's list of the most congested areas in the world are in the US, making it the most congested developed country on the planet.
Image: picture alliance/dpa/blickwinkel
If you're going to San Francisco...
The morning commute on the Golden Gate Bridge can cost time and money in equal measure. Being stuck in traffic costs the average US driver about $1,400 (1,318 euros) and nearly $300 billion (28 billion euros) for all drivers nationwide.
Image: Getty Images/J.Sullivan
Bleak outlook
Vehicle congestion in Sao Paulo, which made it to place six with drivers spending 77 hours stuck in traffic. While road supply will stagnate, the demand to use it is expected to continue to rise.
Image: picture alliance/dpa/C.Faga
Jam in London
The UK was found to be the third-worst affected country in Europe for traffic congestion. According to analysts, online shopping is one reason for the rising levels, with delivery vans clogging the roads.
Image: Getty Images/S.Barbour
Growing pains
Due to the fact that Inrix doesn't gather its own data in either China or Japan, cities in those countries were not ranked. Nevertheless, traffic in the region's rapidly-expanding cities has worsened.
Image: picture alliance/dpa/W.Lei
African drivers trapped in traffic
Africa also isn't covered by the report because Inrix doesn't collect its own data there. For example, Lagos, the largest city in Nigeria, is heavily affected by traffic. One of the reasons for the terrible traffic situation is the city's financial hub, which sits on an island with only limited access. If an accident occurs on these roads, the entire city gets backed up.
Image: Getty Images/P.U.Ekpei
8 images1 | 8
Lower quality of life
According to Inrix, traffic jams cost the average US driver $1,400 (1,318 euros) last year, and nearly $300 billion (28 billion euros) for all drivers nationwide.
The study authors pointed out that increased traffic and congestion worldwide in 2016 had lowered the quality of life, but said the situation was not likely to improve in the near future.
"The demand for driving is expected to continue to rise, while the supply of roadway will remain flat," wrote Bob Pishue, senior economist at Inrix, in a statement.
He suggested that governments use traffic data and technology to improve traffic flow and consider building more road space.
