Here's How Much Time When Spend Stuck In Traffic Over A Lifetime

Here’s How Much Time We Spend Stuck In Traffic Over A Lifetime

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Britain’s roads are becoming increasingly busy and, ultimately, congested. But research has shed light on just how much time we spend stuck in traffic…

Stuck For Eight Months

We’ve all found ourselves stuck in heavy traffic, moving at a snail’s pace (if at all). It feels as though we’ll never escape, trapped in an automotive purgatory. But whilst these sentiments may be a tad dramatic, new research has revealed just how much time we spend stuck in jams. Webuyanycar.com surveyed over 2,000 drivers to determine how much time we lose doing, well, motoring-related things. In terms of traffic, we spend eight months of our lives stuck in gridlocks. We also spend a year driving to and from work and two months searching for a parking space. But, in general, the average driver will spend four years at the wheel and will cover 600,000 miles.

The head of technical services at Webuyanycar.com, Richard Evans, emphasised how central driving is to many of our lives. He said, “this research highlights how much of our lives revolve around our cars. Driving almost 600,000 miles is no mean feat and we are tested on a daily basis with congestion, squabbling children, work demands and elusive parking spaces”. He added, “for many of us our cars are a lifeline and we will experience a number of key life moments behind the wheel”.

More Than Just Transport

Cars aren’t simply a means to get from ‘a’ to ‘b’. They’re a fundamental facet of our society, economy and way of life. Car-ownership transformed the way we live and the way we work. This is even more remarkable when we consider that our cars spend 80 – 90% of their lives sat idle i.e. not in use. Whilst there’s been extensive speculation about a ‘peak car’ scenario, there are few signs that we can expect any major shift away from cars anytime soon. Webuyanycar.com’s research does, however, reveal a number of problems with British road infrastructure. For a start, our roads are notoriously congested; with some major roads working 50% above intended capacity. There’s also a lack of adequate parking infrastructure throughout the country, forcing the government to pledge to a ‘parking revolution’.