Belfast among worst traffic hotspots in United Kingdom

And Belfast counts among the worst areas for congestion.

A new survey also shows that the United Kingdom’s roads are the worst in Europe for congestion - with double the congestion “hotspots” of Germany or France.

Surveying 123 European cities with populations of 250,000 or more, the Inrix data identified more than 20,000 points where congestion forces drivers to drop their speed by 65 per cent for more than two minutes.

And the UK’s total of 20,300 “traffic hotspots” was also way ahead of Italy and Spain, countries renowned for their chaotic city-centre traffic.

Unsurprisingly, it was the A12 eastbound at the junction with the M2 and M3 in Belfast which made the top 10. Research into the average duration, length and frequency of tailbacks during September found the impact of traffic hotspots would cost drivers £797 million over the next eight years.

London's M25 topped the congestion chart, the stretch northbound between junctions 15 and 16 - contributing to what is estimated to be a £42 billion cost to the capital’s motorists.

However, hope is at hand. An extra £1.3bn will be spent on improving Britain's roads, as announced by Chancellor Philip Hammond in the Autumn Statement.

"Money is coming in for the first time in a while, hopefully this will be used to alleviate the worst areas," said Graham Cookson, Inrix's chief economist and author of the research.

The cost of congestion: the UK’s worst traffic "hotspots"

1 London: M25 northbound between junctions 15 and 16 (£42 billion)

2. Edinburgh: A720 westbound Edinburgh Bypass at Dreghorn Barracks (£2.8 billion)

3 Glasgow: Eastbound junction of the A8 Glasgow and Edinburgh Road with the M8 (£2.3 billion)

4 Birmingham: Northbound junction of the A38 (M) with the M6 (£2 billion)

5 Manchester: M60 northbound at junction 1 for the A6 Stockport (£1.9 billion)

6 Bristol: M5 southbound at junction 20 for Clevedon (£1.6 billion)

7 Leeds: Westbound M62 junction 26 with M606 junction 1 (£1.5 billion)

8 Cardiff: A48 westbound at Riverside Park (£1.1 billion)

9 Bradford: From the A650 in the city centre to the A6038 Otley Road (£1.1 billion)

10 Belfast: A12 eastbound at the junction with the M2 and M3 (£797 million)