The number of traffic jams on German motorways totalled 119,246 in the period from 21 June to 8 September, a 3% decline on the previous year, according to a study by Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil-Club (ADAC).
In total, the traffic jams covered some 205,323 kilometres (5% lower than last year), which is the equivalent of travelling around the world five times.
Despite a lower number, the duration of traffic jams increased slightly, by 0.3%.
Friday the most congested
Fridays remain the most congested weekend day, according to the data, accounting for almost half (47%) of all weekend traffic jams. Saturdays (26%) and Sundays (27%) are nearly equal in terms of traffic congestion.
However, ADAC experts observed a slight shift from Friday to Sunday compared to 2023. Last year, only 24% of weekend traffic jams occurred on Sunday.
In terms of traffic jams per 100 kilometres of highway, the A99 (Munich ring road) was once again the worst offender followed by the A8 and A3.
The weekend with the highest number of traffic jams was the first weekend of August (August 2 to 4), which saw 3,923 traffic jams take place.
This coincided with the start of the second week of vacation in the populous states of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, while holidays ended in Lower Saxony, Bremen, Saxony, and Saxony-Anhalt. The weekend of July 19 to 21 followed closely, with 3,917 traffic jams as vacations began in Hamburg, Berlin, Bremen, Schleswig-Holstein, and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, according to ADAC.
