South Africans top global list for time spent behind the wheel

If it feels like you’re spending more time in traffic than at home, you’re not imagining it.

South Africans spend more time behind the wheel than motorists in any other country surveyed, averaging more than 10-and-a-half hours on the road every week. Over the course of a year, that adds up to more than 23 full days spent driving.

New global research by Autotrader has placed South Africa at the top of a 15-country comparison of driving habits, highlighting just how much time local motorists devote to commuting, school runs, errands and other everyday trips.

For Johannesburg residents, the findings are particularly relatable. Whether it’s the daily crawl along the N1, M1 or N3, or navigating peak-hour traffic between suburbs, business districts and surrounding towns, long hours behind the wheel have become part of everyday life for many commuters.

Ireland ranked second, with motorists spending an average of 7 hours and 23 minutes in their cars each week, followed by Australia on just over seven hours.

At the other end of the rankings, drivers in the Netherlands reported the lowest weekly average, spending just 4 hours and 38 minutes behind the wheel.

The study also found that South Africans spend more time than any other country surveyed driving children to and from school, averaging 1 hour and 14 minutes each week.

They also topped the rankings for time spent visiting friends and family, at 1 hour and 53 minutes weekly, while everyday errands accounted for another hour and 36 minutes on average.

Commuting remains another major factor, as South African motorists spend an average of 1 hour and 48 minutes travelling to and from work each week, placing them just behind Australia, where drivers recorded the world’s longest average commute.

Tom Roberts, car leasing expert at Autotrader, said the findings demonstrate how driving habits differ around the world.

”Our research shows just how differently the world drives, from South Africa’s long daily commutes and school runs, to French and German drivers saving their miles for the open road on a summer holiday. Wherever you are in the world, the time we spend in the car adds up to something significant.”

He added: “Understanding how much of your life is spent behind the wheel makes it easier to choose a car that actually fits how you live and drive, comfort, space and reliability mean more, the longer you spend on the road.”

Interestingly, while France and Germany ranked among the countries spending the least amount of time driving each week, motorists there recorded some of the longest annual journeys to holiday destinations, suggesting many save their longest trips for vacations rather than day-to-day travel.

For Gauteng motorists, where congestion is often an unavoidable part of the daily routine, the findings offer a timely reminder of just how much time is spent on the road each year, and why comfort, reliability and efficient transport continue to matter as much as ever.

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Source: Autotrader