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Average Brit spends 48 and a half hours a year stationary at traffic lights

Reducing the number of traffic lights on UK roads could help cut congestion and reduce time spent by drivers on the road.

Traffic light

The number of traffic light systems on roads across the country has increased 23% since 2013 according to FOI data obtained by Confused.com

So says Confused.com as it reveals that the average Brit spends 48.5 hours a year stationary at traffic lights. Research from the price comparison website has also found that of British motorists who drive on a daily basis, the average time spent waiting at red lights is eight minutes – accounting for nearly a fifth (18%) of the average time spent in a car on a daily basis while some British drivers (15%) say they even spend 11-15 minutes waiting at red lights on a daily basis.

The findings support research published at the start of the year by the Institute of Economic Affairs, which put the cost of delays caused by traffic controls at £16bn a year and said that four in five (80%) traffic lights in the UK could be removed to boost the economy and road safety.

Confused.com also found that Brits are having to contend with more sets of traffic lights than ever before. New FOI data obtained by the firm shows that British drivers face more than 33,800 traffic light systems on roads across the country – a 23% increase since 2013. And motorists in London might see their drive punctuated by red lights more than anywhere else – as they have the most traffic light systems in place (6,297).

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Natalie Middleton

Natalie has worked as a fleet journalist for over 20 years, previously as assistant editor on the former Company Car magazine before joining Fleet World in 2006. Prior to this, she worked on a range of B2B titles, including Insurance Age and Insurance Day.