If you have ever seen the 1993 film Falling Down, you will have no doubt empathized with Michal Douglas’s character as he escapes the confines of his car when its stuck in a traffic jam during the opening credits.
If you suffer from road rage, or get overwhelmed with a feeling of claustrophobia when stuck in a traffic jam, consider this post a health warning…
Beijing, China
In 2010 Beijing had one of the worst ever traffic jams in history. This jam of epic proportions was 62 miles long and lasted for a staggering 12 days. The main reason for it was the fact that there were too many vehicles on the road. Beijing is considered to be one of the worst cities in the world for driving in.
New Delhi, India
New Delhi has a gargantuan number of vehicles on the road, including cars, trucks, buses and bikes, and this number is only set to increase. The ratio of cars to road isn’t far from equal, leading to congestion that would make a snail look quick. As well as the traffic, India has the highest number of road fatalities in the world. Driving in New Delhi is a health hazard.
Tokyo, Japan
In 1990, a holiday and a typhoon warning resulted in 15,000 cars carrying evacuees and commuters coming to a standstill across 84 miles of highway. Tokyo is a metropolis filled with 11 million people, but if you take into account the number of people commuting in and out on a daily basis, as well as tourism, you are left with too many vehicles on the roads.
Mexico City, Mexico
The population of Mexico City is constantly increasing; it is the third biggest metropolitan area in the world. More people means more vehicles on the roads. The traffic is so bad that it was voted the most painful commute out of twenty major world cities, due to the stress and time it takes to get from A to B.
Bangkok, Thailand
With more than 7.5 million registered vehicles on the roads, the capital of Thailand is constantly heavily congested. With more and more vehicles set to join the jams, pollution is also a concern when you are trapped inside a sea of cars. But if you didn’t think that that was enough, try throwing an elephant into the mix.
There have been measures put in place in each of these cities to try and eradicate the congestion problems, but these isn’t much that can be done when you have more than one car trying to take up the same physical space at the same time.
About the author: Ben Turro is a former mechanic with a love for all things petrol-powered. Jim recommends Dronsfields for all your Mercedes Benz needs.