Why should insured drivers care about traffic congestion? Because crowded roads and highways lead to an uptick in accidents, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation (D.O.T.). Traffic congestion also contributes to higher cash and time costs to drivers, fatigue, and increased vehicle wear and tear. What's more, "congestion is an economic development issue because it thwarts business attraction and expansion, and reduces quality of life for residents," the U.S.D.O.T. reports. The agency adds that traffic jams lead to higher trucking cost as goods that are stuck in traffic take longer to arrive at their destinations. It behooves both private and commercial drivers to avoid traffic congestion whenever possible. Driving apps such as Google Maps, Apple Maps, Waze and MapQuest can help drivers avoid traffic jams and accidents on the road. Driver knowledge of local traffic patterns and problems also comes in handy. To that end, INRIX, Inc., the mobility analytics and connected car services company, recently surveyed traffic congestion in 1,000 major cities and published the results as part of its 2022 Global Traffic Scorecard. The slideshow above illustrates the 10 most congested cities in the U.S., according to INRIX, Inc. Here are three other takeaways from the INRIX research that will be of interest to insurance pros and drivers alike:

• Congestion costs the average U.S. driver $869 in time lost, up $305 from 2022.
• Drivers commuting in major cities lose a lot more time and money to traffic congestion.
• Nationally, higher fuel costs resulted in $129 more being spent at the gas pump by the typical driver to commute.

"Despite geopolitical and economic uncertainties, we continued to see a [post-pandemic] rise in global vehicle-miles traveled, a return toward traditional morning and evening peak commutes, growth in public transportation use, and continued gains in downtown travel," INRIX Transportation Analyst Bob Pishue said in a press release. However, we have yet to fully rebound to pre-pandemic levels, and while we do anticipate a gradual increase over the coming years, we may see a small decline in 2023 should a global recession strongly take hold." See also:

• Drivers returning to the road, but new traffic patterns emerge
• These are the best states for drivers
• The worst drivers in the U.S. live in these 10 states