It’s happened to most drivers: congestion, that is, that plague of modern cities that increases traveling times and, of course, pollution.
Since 2007, Dutch manufacturer of automotive navigation systems TomTom has initiated a program to better understand the traffic flow of more than 80 major cities in all continents to improve its guidance systems.
Instead of relying purely on mathematical models, the company is collecting real-life GPS data from millions of TomTom customers and has created an accurate database of their driving patterns.
TomTom recently published its Congestion Index for the second quarter of 2012 for North America and Europe.
Unsurprisingly, Los Angeles is the congestion capital of North America, while 20 out of 26 cities in TomTom’s list belong to the U.S., with the rest being in Canada.
Houston, San Francisco and Minneapolis have scored the highest for an increase in congestion, while traffic jams decreased in Edmonton, Ottawa and Washington.
If you’ve ever been to Istanbul, you won’t be surprised to learn that it leads Europe’s Top 10 Congestion Index, with traveling times at the morning peak standing at an astounding 84 percent longer than average.
Interestingly enough, two UK cities, Bradford-Leeds and Birmingham, post the highest increase percentage, while Rome, which ranks in fifth place in the Congested Index Top 10, has reduced its traffic jams by eight percent.
You can view TomTom’s comprehensive data for North America and Europe right after the break.
By Andrew Tsaousis
PHOTO GALLERY
