Rush and crash hours

(07 March 2005)

UK traffic is now worse on Saturday lunchtimes than during the traditional weekday commuter rush hours, according to research from online insurer, esure.

Esure's research - using analysis of the DfT Traffic Flow figures* - shows that, on average, there is now more traffic on the roads between 11am to 2pm on Saturdays than during the 5pm to 7pm weekday commuter rush hours.

Esure has also found that the amount of car insurance ....cont/

claims increases and decreases during the week in near perfect proportion to the amount of traffic on the roads, giving rise to more claims during Saturday lunchtime than any other three hour period of the week**.

The Saturday rush hour - fuelled largely by family shopping and children's social activities - also looks set to continue. In the last five years, traffic flows have risen by 7% during this time* and drivers in an ICM poll for esure agreed: nearly ....cont/

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two thirds of adults agreed that Saturday lunchtime traffic is getting worse each year***.

Mike Pickard, Head of Risk and Underwriting at esure, said: "The new rush hours are being fuelled by shoppers and droppers who are taking to the road to go to supermarkets, out-of-town shopping centres and children's sports or parties. Saturday lunchtime is also a claim black-spot, so esure urges drivers to be as cautious and road-savvy as they are during their...cont/

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weekday commute."

Sources:

* Transport Statistics Bulletin, Department for Transport, 1999 - 2004.
** Figures based on the details of over 100,000 claims from esure over the last four years.
*** ICM Research interviewed a random selection of 1009 adults aged 18+, by telephone between 16th and 17th February 2005.
Esure Car Insurance