Carpooling could be a major difference in reducing commute times in Montreal, according to new research from U.K. car insurance expert MoneySuperMarket.
The research has found that Montreal ranks in the top five cities in the world for potential time savings for drivers if fewer vehicles were on the road.
Researchers looked into traffic speeds, commute distances, and overall congestion in over 150 cities worldwide to try to determine how much time could be saved in peak commute hours, and determined that Montrealers could save around 7.15 minutes per commute if more people carpooled.
Other cities ahead of Montreal included Los Angeles, which took the top spot with potential time savings of 19 minutes if more people carpooled. San Francisco, Tokyo, and Rotterdam rounded out the other top five positions.
“Fewer cars on the road has the potential to reduce congestion, road traffic collisions, and lower emissions, all of which are big positives for both drivers and insurers,” said Alicia Hempsted, a car insurance expert at MoneySuperMarket.
“While premiums are always based on individual risks, shared journeys and reduced mileage could play a role in encouraging safer and more sustainable travel. Any future changes would depend on a range of individual and market-wide factors.”
Adding, “With drivers under mounting pressure from rising costs and longer journeys, carpooling could be a simple change that delivers real everyday benefits. The MoneySuperMarket Carpooling Index shows that even small shifts in how we travel could help drivers save time, cut costs, and reduce the stress of the daily commute.”
Researchers also found that Montreal ranked fourth in Canada for average commute distance, with motorists driving around 22 km.
Toronto took the top spot for average driving distance, being around 32 km. Ottawa narrowly beat Vancouver for second with drivers averaging 24 km per commute, and Edmonton rounded out the top five, with an average commute distance of 21 km.
For more on the research, click here.
