UK drivers expect traffic jams to return after pandemic passes, says survey

Coronavirus: Drivers will use navigation aids to find fastest routes, suggests Kapch TrafficCom survey

Traffic jams on UK roads are likely to return quickly after the Corona crisis, a survey of 1,000 people conducted for traffic technology company Kapsch TrafficCom suggests.

Some 75% of respondents said they are concerned about the negative environmental impact traffic congestion might have. However, drivers seem equally concerned about the impact of congestion on journey times.

Faced with increased congestion, three-quarters of drivers are prepared to use a navigation app to choose their route, the survey indicated. Almost two thirds of respondents want a route that guarantees the shortest travel time.

The Kapsh TrafficCom Index survey suggests the majority of drivers in the UK consider the shortest travel time (61%), the most reliable travel time (59%) or the shortest distance (53%) to be “important” or “very important” when selecting a route.

Only 39% of the respondents consider routes with the lowest impact on the environment to be “important” or “very important”.

Steve Parsons, Head of UK Sales Kapsch TrafficCom, said: “The intelligent use of navigation devices offers opportunities to reduce road congestion and traffic jams. This technology could also help to achieve other desirable goals. For example, traffic planners could also factor in environmental impacts such as CO2 emissions in their route recommendations.

"Smart navigation networks are a key technology for fundamentally reducing traffic jams and pollution on roads. The desire of drivers to use navigation tools to minimize travel times should be utilised by public planners. The aim is to offer digital traffic management solutions that take important societal goals into account. Environmental protection is one of these important targets that will improve our everyday life.”

The 1,000 UK interviews were selected to representative of the population by a UK market research institute. The Kapsch TrafficCom index is a survey of total of 9,000 participants in nine countries: UK, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Chile, France, Germany, Spain and the USA.