'Top traffic jam hotspot is on M1'

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The M1 between junction 6A in Hertfordshire and junction 11 near Luton in Bedfordshire topped the list of jams in a report from Trafficmaster and the RAC Foundation. The second-worst spot was the M25's western sector between junction 9 near Leatherhead in Surrey and junction 20 north of Watford.

Another stretch of the ever-busy M25 - between junction 21 near Watford and junction 28 near Brentwood in Essex - was in third position.

Two sections of the M6 were in fourth and fifth place in the congestion list. Fourth was the section between junction 3A east of Birmingham and junction 11A near Cannock in Staffordshire, while in fifth place was the section between junction 11 near Birmingham and junction 21A east of Warrington in Cheshire.

The congestion was measured in the 12 months ending April 2007, with the table-topping M1's jams almost twice as bad as those on the M6 through Birmingham. This section of the M1 has long-term roadworks which are in place while widening work continues.

Trafficmaster said congestion in the first three months of this year had increased 0.8% compared with the same period in 2006. The report also highlighted how using alternative routes can save drivers a great deal of time.

The best time-saving route found was Manchester to Leeds using the M62 rather than the A628 and the M1, with drivers saving two hours 25 minutes a week.

Second-best was London to Norwich where drivers using the M11 and the A11 rather than the A12, A14 and A140 can save one hour 50 minutes a week. The report also showed that while the majority of rush-hour commuting happens between 7.30am and 8.30am, peak commuter hours get earlier as the week progresses.

On Fridays in north east England, for example, commuters leave for home as early as 2.40pm, but in the North West, workers are still driving home as late as 6pm. London has the longest spread of peak traffic and the concern is that other conurbations will soon be catching up as traffic grows.

The report also found that 20% of company car drivers spend more than five hours a week in congestion, but half find their employers "not at all" supportive over flexible work practices to avoid commuting.