If you drove to or from work today, the chances are you encountered some traffic along the way. But have you ever stopped to wonder just how long you spend top to toe in tailbacks? ‘Stopped’ being the operative word.
EIGHT MONTHS. You’ll spend eight months of your life stuck in traffic, staring at the rear lights of a compact crossover, wondering if you’ll make it home in time for The One Show.
A study of 2,000 motorists found that we spend two months searching for a parking space and the equivalent of one year driving to work. Maybe it’s time to consider working from home.
Overall, you could spend nearly four years behind the wheel, racking up almost 600,000 miles in the process. This is still less than the mileage on the cab that took you home from the pub on Friday night.
A life in cars
The Webuyanycar.com study is quite revealing – and a little depressing. While it would be nice to think that time behind the wheel involves picturesque coastal drives, cruising along with the top down and banging tunes on the stereo, the reality is quite different.
Here are some of the figures:
- Miles driven: 592,920
- Time spent in car: 3.7 years
- Time on the motorway: 11 months
- Time on country lanes: 12.2 months
- Time in cities: 10.4 months
- Sitting in traffic: 8 months
- Finding a parking space: 2 months
- Driving to work: 12 months
- Driving around lost: 15 days
Richard Evans, head of technical services at Webuyanycar.com, said: “This research highlights how much of our lives revolve around our cars. Driving almost 600,000 miles is no mean feat and we are tested on a daily basis with congestion, squabbling children, work demands and elusive parking spaces.
“For many of us our cars are a lifeline and we will experience a number of key life moments behind the wheel.”