A new report in the UK has found that road congestion across the country’s motorways and trunk roads has reduced by 31% in the last two years since the credit crunch began.

The weekday morning peak times showed the highest drop in congestion with a 15% average cut over the last one year. This figure corresponds closely to the period of time that nearly a quarter of those unemployed lost their jobs due to the crises.

The report, ‘Congestion – Commuting, An Economic Barometer’, has been compiled by Trafficmaster and the AA and is based on data over the past five years collected from 75,000 drivers.

The report has found definitive links between congestion levels and major financial events and the economic climate such as rising fuel prices and the collapse of Northern Rock.

In addition, Fridays, school and Bank holiday getaways have reported spiked rises in congestion, possibly due to the fact that the cost of holidays in the UK is cheaper than abroad, the report says.

Trafficmaster said that it is the first time in past 20 years that congestion levels have shown a decrease in 2007.