Commuters driven round the bend by congestion

Traffic jams are the pet peeve of 16 million motorists in the UK, new research has revealed.

Congestion is the biggest frustration for 60% of drivers on their daily commute, compared to just 13% of motorbike riders, according to motorcycle insurance broker Carole Nash.

Commuters’ top five pet peeves

• Amount of time spent in traffic – 41%
• Bad drivers – 34%
• Train or bus delays – 19%
• Drivers using their phone at the wheel – 17%
• People talking too loudly on the phone – 15%

As part of its support of Ride to Work Week (June 19-25) aimed at encouraging more people to travel to and from work on motorbikes and scooters, 1,000 people were asked what frustrates them most on their journey.

“With the ability to cut through queues of cars, it makes sense that riding to work really is the easiest and often quickest way of getting to and from the office,” said Rebecca Donohue of Carole Nash.

“If more people do commute by motorbike or scooter, it will dramatically help alleviate congestion in our cities and improve the journey for all road users.”

Taking the train or bus does nothing to avoid the frustration, however, as public transport delays are the third most irritating aspect of commuting, chosen by 19%.

Other public transport annoyances include hearing music from other people’s headphones, screaming children, noisy eating and rowdy gangs.