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New TomTom research reveals shortcuts are actually ?longcuts?


    TomTom (TOM2), a global leader in traffic, today published its 4th annual global traffic index. The results revealed that shortcuts drivers take to avoid congestion are actually ‘longcuts’, adding 50% more travel time to journeys.

    TomTom’s traffic data showed that traffic congestion on secondary roads is worse than main roads, and commuters around the world are spending, on average, eight working days a year stuck in traffic. This is creating a new set of challenges for local authorities looking for solutions to the increasing traffic problem.

    “Traffic congestion is nothing new, and continues to be a global challenge. The traditional responses to congestion, such as building new roads or widening existing ones are no longer proving to be effective. Real-time traffic information can help drivers find the quickest shortcut on their journey, and assist governments to make smarter decisions to improve traffic flow for their cities,” said Harold Goddijn, CEO of TomTom.

    The Traffic Index is the only global measurement of traffic congestion comparing travel times during non-congested hours with travel times in peak hours experienced by passenger vehicles. The Index takes into account both local roads and highways. The top ten most congested cities ranked by overall Congestion level in 2013 were:

    1     Moscow       74%       6       Palermo       39%   2     Istanbul       62%       7       Warsaw       39%   3     Rio de Janeiro       55%       8       Rome       37%   4     Mexico City       54%       9       Los Angeles       36%   5     São Paulo       46%       10       Dublin       35%

     

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    Notes to the Editor:

    Separate European, North American, Australia/New Zealand and South Africa Traffic Index reports are available.

    To download the Traffic Index reports, go to www.tomtom.com/trafficindex

    About TomTom

    TomTom (TOM2) empowers movement. Every day millions of people around the world depend on TomTom to make smarter decisions. We design and develop innovative products that make it easy for people to keep moving towards their goals. Best known for being a global leader in navigation and mapping products, TomTom also creates GPS Sport Watches, as well as state-of-the-art fleet management solutions and industry leading location based products.

    Our business consists of four customer facing business units: Consumer, Automotive, Licensing and Telematics.

    Founded in 1991 and headquartered in Amsterdam, we have 3,600 employees worldwide and sell our products in over 35 countries.