Traffic levels are continuing to fall, meaning fewer road accidents, more reliable driving times for fleet drivers and less congestion.

The latest provisional figures from the Department for Transport show that there has been a drop of 3.5% in overall traffic levels between the first quarters of 2008 and 2009.

Car traffic decreased by 3%, van use fell by 2% and the number of lorries on the road declined by a significant 12%.

As a result, journey times in seven of the most congested cities declined.

The number of vehicles using the country’s motorways also fell by 5%.

The fall in traffic volumes is blamed on poor weather earlier in the year and on the recession, which has reduced manufacturing output resulting in a drop in HGV and van use.