Bumper To Bumper

Have you ever wondered what would happen if all the cars in a country were out on the road at the same time? Divide the total length of a country's roads by the number of registered vehicles and you arrive at some terrifying statistics.

Italy boasts the world's most crowded roads. Drivers there would, in theory, have only 13 m (43 ft) of clear road before they bumped into the car in front. The second most congested country is West Germany, where motorists would have just slightly more room at 17 m (56 ft).

Even in the wide open spaces of the USA, the statistics are no more encouraging. There are just under 30 m (98 ft) of highway for every Americal vehicle. One of the few places in the Western world where the driver still has plenty of road space is Ireland. The fortunate Irish motorist has a whole 111 m (364 ft.) of road to call his or her own.