Travelling Without Moving: Standstill Time In Rush Hour Increases By 10.9%

SLOUGH - August 4, 2008: Britain’s Inner-City motorists are stationary for up to half of their morning rush hour journey – an increase of 10.9% in the past two years - according to new research by Citroën.

The Company commissioned the study to highlight the environmental and financial benefits of its “Stop & Start” technology. Currently available on the Citroën C2 and C3 superminis, the intelligent system maximises economy and minimises CO2 emissions by turning off the car’s engine when stationary. Independent testing has shown a Stop & Start vehicle can return a 27% fuel saving in urban driving conditions.

Following an original study in 2006, Citroën’s research assessed traffic congestion in five major city centres – London, Cardiff, Birmingham, Norwich and Manchester during the rush hour. The snapshot showed commuters to be stationary for 25 minutes – 42% of the time – in an average one hour journey in which they travelled just 12.9 miles.

Perhaps surprisingly, London motorists covered almost twice as many miles as they did in 2006 – 13.2 compared to 6.8 - yet were stationary for around 5 minutes longer. Cardiff motorists experienced the least change, covering the biggest distance of all the cities assessed, which may compensate for the fact that they endured the longest time stationary.