The True Costs of Traffic Congestion

Few things in life waste more time than being stuck in traffic. Sometimes a traffic jam is unexpected and unavoidable, and is the result of a recent traffic accident. Other times, traffic is a way of life; something drivers are forced to contend with on the way to and from their jobs.

No doubt we love our cars, but most of us hate being stuck in traffic. And if you happen to live in a city that’s known for its problem with traffic congestion, you probably hate traffic more than most. According to a recently compiled study called the INRIX National Traffic Scorecard, the ten metropolitan areas with the most traffic congestion are:

  1. Los Angeles, CA
  2. New York, NY
  3. Chicago, IL
  4. Washington D.C.
  5. Dallas-Fort Worth, TX
  6. San Francisco, CA
  7. Houston, TX
  8. Boston, MA
  9. Seattle, WA
  10. Atlanta, GA
Traffic costs time

Naturally when you’re stuck in traffic, you’re stuck with nothing else to do. Most people talk on their phone (which isn’t advisable), listen to the radio, or increase their stress levels. But rarely does anything productive happen. Surprisingly, some drivers spend as much as 40 hours each year just sitting in traffic! Building more roads doesn’t seem to make the situation any better. Instead, when new roads are built it seems that sprawl soon follows!
Traffic costs money

Wear and tear on the car, gas, and longer commutes all add up to a sizeable chunk of a person’s income going towards car expenses month after month.

Traffic affects health

When there’s more traffic, people have more stress. When there’s more traffic, the surrounding air quality is poorer. When there’s more traffic, the risk of road fatalities is higher. And when there’s a higher risk of traffic accidents and fatalities, auto insurance rates typically are higher.

What can a driver do?

The simple answer is to stay off the road during times when congestion is expected. Simple yes, but not really feasible. You could talk to your boss about working from home. You could find a job closer to home. You could start listening to audio books. Or you could move to an area that experiences less traffic congestion.

If you did that, your health, wallet and auto insurance rates may all get better as a result!