For those who live in the city or have to go there every day for work, traffic jams and queues in which you get stuck are very common. According to data provided by Parclick.it, one of the leading online parking booking platforms in Europe, Italians lose an average of 35 hours a year due to traffic jams, a figure that triples, reaching 110 hours, if you live in Rome, Naples, Palermo.

Among the most congested Italian cities, with about 75 hours a year lost in traffic are Turin, Milan, Florence, Genoa and Bari.

On the other hand, for Italians, traffic is the second reason for concern regarding mobility, after air pollution and before the difficulty of finding parking.

Some prevention rules to keep in mind

The safety distance is always important. Almost everyone is aware of the importance of maintaining a safe distance while driving normally, but it is not the same in traffic jams. As soon as traffic starts to slow down, vehicles tend to get as close as possible, greatly increasing the risk of rear-end collisions.

Acceleration and braking. Driving with acceleration and hard braking facilitates collisions between vehicles. This also increases fuel consumption, as well as pollution and brake pads.

Don't forget the arrows. In queues, after standing still for a long time or going at very low speeds, drivers tend to get distracted or be too confident, thus performing maneuvers without signaling them. The use of arrows is essential so that other drivers know what you are going to do and can act accordingly.

Lane change. Constantly changing lanes further slows down already slow traffic and increases the chances of accidents.

Take care of the mechanics of your vehicle. If it is not used correctly, the mechanics of the vehicle are affected; In traffic jams, for example, the clutch is usually the most damaged part. Since you start and stop every few meters, it is common to continuously leave your foot on the clutch while the first gear is engaged. This damages the mechanism and reduces its service life. It is best to engage the gear only when starting and stay in neutral with the brake pressed when stopping.

Stay calm. When a driver is nervous and irritated, he is more likely to make serious mistakes and lose concentration more easily.