The research forms part of the company’s annual Report on Company Motoring, which also revealed that in total, employees spend around 70 million hours per week using their cars for work related journeys. Those who drive on work-related journeys stated that they spend over a 10th (13%) of their time sitting in traffic jams.

Tim Porter, managing director of Lex Autolease, said: “Congestion is getting worse and is costing businesses millions of pounds every day in lost productivity. It is critical that the Government keeps investing in the road network to keep our workforce on the move.”

Of the 1,041 drivers surveyed, when asked about how long car-related commutes take, the average time for a return journey was estimated at 70 minutes each day – equivalent to over 10 full days per person per annum, showing that the daily commute can take up a significant amount of time over the course of a year.

The research also revealed that a small proportion (5%) of those interviewed commuted for more than three hours each day, while less than a tenth (8%) work from home and so have no commuting time at all.

Porter concluded: “The workplace is changing rapidly, and many businesses are recognising the benefits of homeworking supported by improvements to technology such as fast broadband and video conferencing. Employees can enjoy increased flexibility in their working patterns and these are important steps in reducing congestion and helping businesses to become more flexible.”