Collection

Road congestion and travel times

Information and statistics on road congestion and travel times.

Published 8 August 2013
Last updated 28 February 2018 — see all updates
From:
Department for Transport

Some of the original 2017 estimates for local ‘A’ roads have been revised. The main impact is to the local ‘A’ road morning peak figures for January and February 2017. Estimates for the Strategic Road Network are unaffected. Please see our February publication for updated figures and further details.

This page provides travel time measures for the Strategic Road Network (motorways and ‘A’ roads managed by Highways England) and for locally managed ‘A’ roads in England. For each, there is a measure of speed and delay, with an additional measure of reliability for the Strategic Road Network.

All supporting statistical tables are updated on a quarterly basis. For local ‘A’ road statistics, we provide statistics by region and local highway authority which are updated on an annual basis (in February).

Historically, we published separate statistical reports for travel time measures on the Strategic Road Network and locally managed ‘A’ roads. These were produced on a quarterly basis (in February, May, August and November). Following user feedback we decided to combine the statistical releases, with the first combined release published for the second quarter of data for 2017. From February 2018 onwards we no longer intend to publish quarterly travel time statistical reports. Instead, we will publish an annual report (in February), although we will continue to update the supporting tables on a quarterly basis.

Technical information

These statistics used to monitor road congestion and journey time reliability are compiled from journey time data from in-vehicle global positioning systems (GPS) and flows estimated using automatic traffic counters and the department’s manual traffic count data.

The road congestion and travel times statistics guidance contains a brief introduction into these statistics, including what they measure, how they are published and how they are used. The guidance also includes technical information relating to the reliability of journeys on the Highways England’s network and on locally managed ‘A’ roads, plus information on public attitudes and research and development.

The road congestion table index lists all the tables, including archived statistics.

National statistics

All of the statistics published are National Statistics. Road congestion and reliability statistics were assessed by the UK Statistics Authority and confirmed as National Statistics in July 2012.

Raw data available for download

Pre-release access list

The post holders given access to these statistics up to 24 hours prior to release are available in the pre-release access list.

Contact us

Road congestion and travel times

Published in 2018

Publications 2017

Publications 2016

  1. Travel time measures for the Strategic Road Network: October 2015 to September 2016

    • National Statistics

  2. Travel time measures for local ‘A’ roads, England: October 2015 to September 2016

    • National Statistics

  3. Travel time measures for the strategic road network: July 2015 to June 2016

    • National Statistics

  4. Travel time measures for local 'A' roads, England: July 2015 to June 2016

    • National Statistics

  5. Travel time measures for the strategic road network: January to March 2016

    • National Statistics

  6. Travel time measures for local 'A' roads, England: April 2015 to March 2016

    • National Statistics

  7. Analysis of travel times on local ‘A’ roads, England: 2014

    • Official Statistics

  8. Congestion on local 'A' roads, England: October to December 2015

    • National Statistics

  9. Travel time measures for the strategic road network: October to December 2015

    • National Statistics

Publications 2015

  1. Travel time measures for the strategic road network: April to September 2015

    • National Statistics

  2. Congestion on local 'A' roads, England: July to September 2015

    • National Statistics

  3. Congestion on local 'A' roads, England: April to June 2015

    • National Statistics

  4. Analysis of travel times on the strategic road network, England: 2014

    • Official Statistics

  5. Reliability of journeys on Highways Agency roads, England: January to March 2015

    • National Statistics

  6. Congestion on local 'A' roads, England: January to March 2015

    • National Statistics

  7. Reliability of journeys on Highways Agency roads, England: October to December 2014

    • National Statistics

  8. Congestion on local ‘A’ roads, England: October to December 2014

    • National Statistics

Publications 2014

  1. Reliability of journeys on Highways Agency roads: July to September 2014

    • National Statistics

  2. Congestion on local ‘A’ roads, England: July to September 2014

    • National Statistics

  3. Congestion on local ‘A’ roads, England: April to June 2014

    • National Statistics

  4. Reliability of journeys on Highways Agency roads, England: April to June 2014

    • National Statistics

  5. Congestion on local ‘A’ roads, England: January to March 2014

    • National Statistics

  6. Reliability of journeys on Highways Agency roads, England: January to March 2014

    • National Statistics

  7. Reliability of journeys on Highways Agency roads, England: October to December 2013

    • National Statistics

  8. Congestion on local ‘A’ roads, England: October to December 2013

    • National Statistics

Publications 2013

  1. Reliability of journeys on the Highways Agency's motorway and A road network: November 2012

    • National Statistics

  2. Congestion on local authority managed 'A' roads: October to December 2012

    • National Statistics

  3. Reliability of journeys on the Highways Agency's motorway and A road network: December 2012

    • Official Statistics

  4. Reliability of journeys on the Highways Agency's motorway and A road network: January 2013

    • Official Statistics

  5. Reliability of journeys on the Highways Agency's motorway and A road network: February 2013

    • National Statistics

  6. Congestion on local authority managed 'A' roads: January to March 2013

    • National Statistics

  7. Reliability of journeys on the Highways Agency's motorway and A road network: March 2013

    • National Statistics

  8. Reliability of journeys on the Highways Agency's motorway and A road network: April 2013

    • National Statistics

  9. Reliability of journeys on Highways Agency’s motorway and ‘A’ road network: April to June 2013

    • National Statistics

  10. Congestion on local authority managed 'A' roads: April to June 2013

    • National Statistics

  11. Congestion on local ‘A’ roads, England: July to September 2013

    • National Statistics

  12. Reliability of journeys on Highways Agency roads, England: July to September 2013

    • National Statistics

Publications 2012

Data tables

Historic data tables

The following tables have been discontinued due to a methodological change in the production of congestion statistics.

  1. Highway Agency motorways and 'A' roads: ‘on time’ journeys (CGN01)

    • Statistical data set

  2. Flow weighted vehicle speeds (CGN02)

    • Statistical data set

  3. Flow weighted vehicle speeds, by region (CGN09)

    • Statistical data set
Published 8 August 2013
Last updated 28 February 2018 + show all updates
  1. New release published.
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  5. New releases published and summary text updated.
  6. New releases published.
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  8. New release published.
  9. New releases published.
  10. First published.
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