Drivers are spending less time on the roads thanks to the credit crunch and high fuel prices.

Fewer people are opting to use their cars - put off by petrol prices topping 120p per litre and diesel at as much as 140p per litre - and those who do take to the roads drive more slowly to save fuel, the Trafficmaster report showed.

The report said congestion was 12 per cent less in the first six months of 2008, compared with January to June 2007.

Georgina Read, a spokeswoman for Trafficmaster, said: "Rising fuel prices and general economic concerns are making people think carefully about how they drive.

"The upshot of less traffic is a drop in congestion levels, meaning motorists can get from A to B quicker while travelling at lower and more economical speeds."

Using data collected from 7,500 cameras on major road and motorways across Britain, Trafficmaster found that in the year June 2007 to June 2008, congestion eased as opposed to worsening for the first time in the four years the study has been carried out.

The average speed on motorways slowed to 62.2mph from 63.3mph in the previous year, but journey times improved, with people shaving 0.3 per cent off their travelling time.

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