New congestion data covers every major road in England and Great

The Department for Transport has released new official data tracking how long journeys actually take on the Strategic Road Network and on local A roads across Great Britain, covering the full year from April 2025 to March 2026, and this is the first time congestion figures for locally managed A roads have been included in the same publication.

For everyday drivers, this matters because the Strategic Road Network, which covers motorways and the major A roads managed by National Highways, carries a huge share of long-distance and commuter traffic in England. Adding locally managed A roads to the same dataset means there is now a joined-up picture of where congestion is building across the country, not just on the busiest national routes.

The data gives a clearer view of how travel times vary depending on the time of day, the type of road and the region. When congestion is high, average speeds drop and journey times lengthen, which pushes up fuel costs, increases wear on a vehicle and raises the chance that a driver arrives late for work, appointments or collections. Knowing which roads are most affected can help drivers make more informed choices about when and which route to travel.

For drivers who spend a lot of time on the road, the condition of a vehicle becomes even more important when stop-start congestion is a regular part of daily driving. Frequent short trips in heavy traffic can be harder on an engine, brakes and tyres than longer free-flowing journeys. If your car is due a service or you have a concern about how it is running, finding a trusted local garage makes the process straightforward. Garage.co.uk lets drivers find an independent garage nearby and book directly for MOTs, servicing and repairs, with no fees or commission involved.