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Motoring news

Congestion is 'serious problem', drivers believe

26/08/2010

Congestion is a common problem for almost a quarter of drivers, Government research suggests.

And more than four in five (82%) of respondents to the survey, conducted by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) for the Department for Transport (DfT), said that traffic jams are a serious or very serious problem for the country.

Some 10% of respondents said that congestion was always a problem on their most frequent journey, with a further 15% saying that it was most of the time. Meanwhile, 35% experienced problems only some of the time, with 40% saying that they rarely have a problem.

When considering all of their journeys, 6% of respondents said that heavy traffic was always a problem, with another 17% saying that it often was.

The results, compiled between November 2009 and February 2010, are broadly similar to those from similar research in October-November 2007. A smaller proportion of people complained of problems with congestion during a January-February 2009 survey - possibly reflecting lower traffic levels experienced during the recession.

However, when asked how road congestion had changed compared to two years ago, 36% of drivers said that there was a lot more, while a further 35% believed that there was a little more.

Meanwhile, the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) has warned drivers not to let irritations such as congestion cause 'red mist' to descend.

In its own poll of nearly 1,500 people, the IAM found that 70% of respondents admitted getting angry with other road users, while 28% said that such anger had an adverse affect on their own driving.

IAM director of policy and research Neil Greig said that it was worrying that so many drivers become angry behind the wheel.

"Good drivers spot the signs of potential road rage and do everything they can to steer clear of it," he added.

"It's all about self control."

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