Looking for a faster commute? move to peterborough - new research reveal real rush hour speeds across britain

• Westminster rush hour slowest in country at 10.1mph, Peterborough almost twice as fast at 19.3mph
• Rush hour traffic has the biggest impact in Canterbury, St Albans and Worcester

Commuters sitting in central London traffic can be forgiven if they think they have a raw deal. Despite more congestion measures than anywhere else in Britain, rush hour traffic flows in the centre of the capital are 30 per cent slower than those across other British cities, reveals analysis1 of 20 million miles of telematics data by Direct Line Drive Plus.

During peak times, cars in Westminster travel at an average speed of just 10.06mph, compared to a figure of 14.38mph across the biggest British cities.  The fastest commuters in Britain can be found in Peterborough, with an average rush hour speed of 19.25mph, followed by York at 17.64mph and Oxford at 17.19mph.

The analysis also revealed the locations where the rush hour has the biggest impact on traffic flow, by comparing speeds at peak and off peak times.  Across Britain the typical rush hour slows traffic speed in urban centres by 3.6mph – an average delay on a 30 minute commute of 5.95 minutes, compared to the same journey during off peak hours.  However in Canterbury the rush hour adds 9.7 minutes to a 30 minute journey, in St Albans the delay is 8.9 minutes and in Worcester it’s 8.6 minutes.

At the other end of the scale are the towns or cities where rush hour traffic flows are little slower than off peak speeds. In Swansea traffic speeds up by 2.0mph, in Edinburgh 2.03mph and Preston 2.13mph.  A full table is given below. 

Rush hour traffic flows appear to peak on a Thursday with that day most likely to see the busiest rush hour in 39 per cent of locations. 

The figures were obtained by analysing data gathered from almost three billion observations of speed and location during over 20 million miles driven by motorists across Britain using the Direct Line Drive Plus telematics policy.  Drive Plus allows drivers to monitor their journeys, assessing their driving patterns, including the time taken on different routes.  This analysis helps drivers to improve their driving behaviour resulting in smoother, safer driving. 

Paul Felton, head of telematics at Direct Line, said: “This analysis shows the real experiences of motorists across the country on their commuting journeys.  By enabling drivers to easily keep track of their own journeys, telematics can assist motorists in making travelling as stress-free as possible by providing feedback on individual journeys, including the time and length of their journey and their acceleration, braking and overall smoothness.”

The new Drive Plus Plug-In is an on-board telematics device which drivers can install themselves, at their own convenience, removing the need for an engineer to visit them.

By signing up for Drive Plus motorists are able to have their driving rated on an ongoing basis.  Consistently high or improving scores can lead to reductions in car insurance premiums as better driving results in a lower risk of being in an accident.   Those drivers interested in Drive Plus should visit the website at 

ENDS

For further information, please contact:

Emma Lowde

Citigate Dewe Rogerson

Tel: 020 7282 1049

E-mail: emma.lowde@citigatedr.co.uk
 

Notes to editors:

[1].  Analysis of almost three billion observations of speed and location on journeys totalling more than 20,000,000 miles, carried out across Britain between April 2012 and December 2013.  Rush hour speeds include journeys made between 8-9am and 4 – 6pm, off peak speeds are for journeys made between 7pm-7.59am. Data collected by Direct Line Drive Plus telematics devices from customer journeys. 

Average delay is estimated on a typical commute of 30 minutes. It compares the distance travelled in 30 minutes travelling at the median rush hour speed and the time taken to travel this distance at non rush hour median speed.

Data was collected for each location within an area based upon population density and population size for that city as stated in the 2011 Census.

2. Speed figures in these locations are affected by data taken from traffic on motorways or major roads running through study area – impact is most significant in Newport and Winchester.

Direct Line

Started in 1985, Direct Line became the first UK insurance company to use the telephone as its main channel of communication. It provides motor, home, travel and pet insurance cover direct to customers by phone or on-line.

Direct Line general insurance policies are underwritten by U K Insurance Limited, Registered office: The Wharf, Neville Street, Leeds LS1 4AZ. Registered in England No 1179980. U K Insurance Limited is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority.

Direct Line and UK Insurance limited are both part of Direct Line Insurance Group plc.

Customers can find out more about Direct Line products or get a quote by calling 0845 246 3761 or visiting www.directline.com