The world’s longest traffic jam took place in China during 2010 and took 12 days to clear (Image: Getty)
It is all too easy for drivers to get enraged when they during a journey, which could add precious minutes or, in some cases, hours to their expected time of arrival.
However, whilst few drivers feel lucky when they are stuck amongst equally frustrated road users, Brits can at least feel fortunate that they did not encounter the .
Currently, the in the world took place on the National Highway 110 from August 14 2010 and took a mind-boggling 12 days to properly clear.
During that time period, the queue on the road, which takes drivers from to Tibet, saw motorists grind to a halt over a 100km (60 mile) stretch.
Each day, the majority of were only able to crawl along at rare opportunities, covering as little as half a mile each day.
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During their time stuck on the road, many businesses set up makeshift stalls to sell essentials (Image: Getty)
Compared to most countries, where private cars grew in popularity during the 1950s and 60s, most Chinese motorists were only able to buy their first four-wheeled vehicle in the 1990s or 2000s.
This put a significant strain on infrastructure, with studies finding that the amount of traffic using the China National Highway 110 was increasing by 40% every year.
However, whilst the number of cars using the motorway to get around the country was rising, many trucks were also using it to transport coal from Inner Mongolia.
Combined with construction work on a nearby road that caused more to drivers to use Highway 110, the motorway quickly increased in capacity.
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China currently has more than 3.3 million miles of road and is the largest market for new cars (Image: Getty)
Motorists using the highway to commute or visit loved ones elsewhere in the country soon found themselves in gridlock, being forced to live inside their trapped vehicles until the road was cleared.
Many motorists reported that nearby shops and cafes drastically inflated the price of essentials, with some having to pay 15 times more than normal for bottles of water and noodles. Some enterprising individuals in the area of the traffic jam also set up market stalls at the side of the road or rode bicycles between cars in order to sell products to frustrated drivers.
During the course of the traffic jam, local authorities began to introduce measures to ease congestion wherever possible, preventing motorists from entering the China National Highway 110 and allowing trucks to enter Beijing at night when traffic was much lower.
The world’s longest traffic jam was considered complete on August 26 2010, with authorities reporting only minor slowdowns near to toll booths on the street. In the mean time, China has seen a vast increase in the number of new streets being introduced, with the country having a total of more than 3.3 million miles of roads in 2022.