Staggering Traffic Delays on German Highways: Nearly 450,000 Hours Lost in 2024

The recent report from the ADAC reveals a significant increase in traffic congestion across German highways for the year 2024. According to the data, the total number of traffic jams recorded was 516,000, marking an increase of 12,000 from the previous year. The cumulative duration of these traffic snarls reached nearly 450,000 hours, up by 21,000 hours compared to 2023.

Interestingly, while the duration of traffic jams increased, the total distance covered by these traffic jams decreased. The total length of traffic congestion amounted to 859,000 kilometers, which, although equivalent to the distance from Earth to the Moon and back, represents a decline of 18,000 kilometers from the previous year.

The report suggests a slight deterioration in traffic conditions primarily due to a four percent rise in traffic volume on the highways, coupled with a high number of construction zones. The most severe traffic congestion was noted on the day before the long Pentecost weekend, where drivers experienced 2,500 hours of traffic jams, stretching over 5,200 kilometers.

North Rhine-Westphalia was identified as the state with the greatest share of traffic congestion, accounting for nearly one-third of the total traffic jam kilometers, followed by Bavaria, which contributed another sixth. However, when analyzing congestion relative to the length of their highway networks, the city-states, particularly Berlin, experienced the highest levels of traffic delays.

Additional high congestion levels were observed before holidays that fell on Thursdays, specifically before Fronleichnam, Ascension Day, and Unity Day. Similar trends were noted just before the start of the summer vacations in Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate, and Saarland.

The data utilized in this analysis stem from position and speed information gathered from truck fleets and smartphone applications. A traffic jam is classified as an event where the speed on a section of the highway drops below 20 kilometers per hour for a specified duration. Only traffic jams that exceed one kilometer in length are included in the overall statistics, recorded at their maximum extent.