Time spent driving by country 2026: South Africa tops global ranking

© A. Krivonosov

Drivers in South Africa spend more than 23 full days behind the wheel every year — the highest figure among 15 countries surveyed by Auto Trader. Their average weekly driving time reaches 10 hours and 38 minutes. The Netherlands finished last at just 4 hours and 38 minutes a week, putting a full 13 days between the two countries over a year.

Ireland placed second with 7 hours and 23 minutes a week, followed by Australia at 7 hours and 8 minutes. Canada and Italy came next. Italian drivers spend 6 hours and 17 minutes behind the wheel weekly, or roughly 13 days and 15 hours a year. Germany posted 5 hours and 21 minutes, France 5 hours and 10 minutes, and the UK 4 hours and 48 minutes.

Keep up that pace for 50 years and a South African driver would rack up more than three years of their life in the car. But the numbers aren't a traffic-jam ranking: the study counted every kind of trip — commuting, school runs, shopping, visiting family and holidays — not just time lost sitting in queues.

The figures also don't come from telematics or road sensors. Participants self-reported how long their trips typically took, and the answers were averaged into national figures. The survey ran on the Prolific platform, with all responses collected in April 2026.

The practical takeaway has less to do with lost days than with car buying: at six to ten hours of weekly use, seat comfort, cabin noise, fuel economy and driver-assist systems start to matter more than styling extras.