The tyranny of traffic means we all spend more time in cars, which is bad for the economy, bad for the environment and bad for our health. But there are steps we can take to minis our time on the roads.

How big is the problem?

Location technology specialist, TomTom recently released the results of the TomTom Traffic Index, a report detailing the traffic situation in 416 cities in 57 countries. Bengaluru takes the top spot this year with drivers in the southern Indian city expecting to spend an average of 71% extra travel time stuck in traffic. Next in the global rankings are Philippine capital, Manila (71%); Bogota in Colombia(68%); last year’s most congested city, Mumbai (65%); and Pune (59%), also in India; making up the top five most congested cities in the world.

Greater Moscow takes the lead in Europe (59%) with Istanbul (55%) coming a close second. Kyiv (53%), Bucharest (52%), and Saint Petersburg (49%) make up the rest of the top five. Paris (39%), Rome (38%) and London (38%) ranked in at 14th, 15th and 17th respectively.

In the US, the top five most congested cities are Los Angeles (42%), New York (37%), San Francisco (36%), San Jose (33%) and Seattle (31%).

Congestion up, globally: At what cost?

Traffic congestion has increased globally during the last decade, and the 239 cities (57%)TomTom included in the new Traffic Index report had increased congestion levels between 2018 and 2019, with only 63 cities showing measurable decreases. This global increase in congestion, despite being an indicator of a strong economy, is understood to costeconomies billions.

Ralf-Peter Schäfer, TomTom’s VP of Traffic Information, said: “Globally, there’s a long road to travel until congestion levels are brought under control. In time, the rise of autonomous vehicles and car-sharing services will help alleviate congestion, but planners and policymakers can’t afford to sit and wait. They need to use all the tools available to them to analyze traffic levels and impacts, so they can make critical infrastructure decisions. And drivers have a role to play too. Small changes in driving behaviours can make a huge difference.”

Analyzing real-time incidents and congestion to predict traffic before it happens, TomTom’s Real-Time Traffic makes TomTom navigation software more accurate with enhanced route calculations and accurate estimated times of arrival (ETA). That’s whyTomTom is the market leader, with its traffic technology in millions of cars on the road around the world. TomTom Traffic knows the road ahead, saving time, fuel and stress for drivers, fleet and logistics providers, on-demand services (ride hailing, food delivery), and traffic management services.

And the location technology specialist’s work on the future of driving – from high definition maps for autonomous vehicles, to efficient electric vehicle routing and charging – means that car makers, technology companies, road authorities and governments already have the tools to make the roads less congested.

How do you beat traffic congestion?

Next time you are heading into traffic, consider these helpful tips:

1. Plan before you go. Taking a few moments before heading out the door to inform yourself on the road conditions on the way to your destination will help you consider your alternatives and decide on the best course of action.

2. Trust technology to help you. It may be uncomfortable to take the road less traveled simply because your satnav suggests it’s the fastest one. Often, if you cannot see that a road is indeed congested, it is hard to believe it. Dare to take the alternative route offered by up-to-date navigation, because it is basing its recommendation on real-time traffic conditions on the route you are taking.

3. Change your driving habits. Most often, traffic will peak at certain times of the day, depending on location. This is clear in each of the city pages in the TomTom Traffic Index report, where we provide the average congestion level for each hour of each day of the week. Use the information available to adjust your departure time accordingly. Leaving early or late from a location might mean avoiding time spent in traffic on the road.

4. Consider alternatives. Does your trip have to be made by car? If your planned activity is time-sensitive and you cannot change your departure times, consider ride-sharing, public transport or non-motorized options such as cycling or scooters.

5. Work with your city. Ultimately, improving mobility in our cities is a collaborative effort. Together, city authorities, vehicle manufacturers, traffic signal system providers, parking facilities, traffic information providers, shared mobility providers, startups and, most importantly, the public, are experimenting and transforming cities worldwide. Inform yourself of the initiatives taking place in your urban area and how you can benefit from them.

Ranking of the most congested cities Globally (Overall daily congestion level – extra travel time – population over 800,000):

1	Bengaluru, India	71%	6	Moscow, Russia	59%
2	Manila, Philippines	71%	7	Lima, Peru	57%
3	Bogota, Colombia	68%	8	New Delhi, India	56%
4	Mumbai, India	65%	9	Istanbul, Turkey	55%
5	Pune, India	59%	10	Jakarta, Indonesia	53%

Ranking of the most congested cities in Europe (Overall daily congestion level – extra travel time – population over 800,000):

1	Moscow, Russia	59%	6	Dublin, Ireland	48%
2	Istanbul, Turkey	55%	7	Odessa, Ukraine	47%
3	Kyiv, Ukraine	53%	8	Novosibirsk, Russia	45%
4	Bucharest, Romania	52%	9	Samara, Russia	44%
5	Saint Petersburg, Russia	49%	10	Kharkiv, Ukraine	43%

Ranking of the most congested cities in United States of America (Overall daily congestion level – extra travel time – population over 800,000):

1	Los Angeles, USA	42%	6	Miami, USA	31%
2	New York, USA	37%	7	Washington, USA	29%
3	San Francisco, USA	36%	8	Chicago, USA	28%
4	San Jose, USA	33%	9	Honolulu, USA	28%
5	Seattle, USA	31%	10	Austin, USA	27%

Ranking of the most congested cities in South America (Overall daily congestion level – extra travel time – population over 800,000):

1	Bogota, Colombia	68%	6	Santiago, Chile	44%
2	Lima, Peru	57%	7	Salvador, Brazil	43%
3	Recife, Brazil	50%	8	Fortaleza, Brazil	37%
4	Rio De Janeiro, Brazil	46%	9	Belo Horizonte, Brazil	35%
5	Sao Paolo, Brazil	45%	10	Porto Alegre, Brazil	35%

Ranking of the most congested cities in Asia (Overall daily congestion level – extra travel time – population over 800,000):

1	Bengaluru, India	71%	6	Jakarta, Indonesia	53%
2	Manila, Philippines	71%	7	Bangkok, Thailand	53%
3	Mumbai, India	65%	8	Tel Aviv, Israel	46%
4	Pune, India	59%	9	Tokyo, Japan	42%
5	New Delhi, India	56%	10	Chongqing, China	41%

Ranking of the most congested cities in Africa (Overall daily congestion level – extra travel time – all population sizes):

1	Cairo, Egypt	40%	6	Durban, S. Africa	19%
2	Cape Town, S. Africa	32%	7	Bloemfontein, S. Africa	13%
3	Johannesburg, S. Africa	30%
4	Pretoria, S. Africa	25%
5	East London, S. Africa	22%

Ranking of the most congested cities in Australia and Oceania (Overall daily congestion level – extra travel time – all population sizes):

1	Sydney, Australia	33%	6	Brisbane, Australia	25%
2	Auckland, New Zealand	31%	7	Adelaide, Australia	24%
3	Melbourne, Australia	30%	8	Gold Coast, Australia	24%
4	Wellington, New Zealand	28%	9	Hobart, Australia	23%
5	Hamilton, New Zealand	25%	10	Christchurch, New Zealand	21