Working from home slashed the length and duration of traffic jams on Dutch roads by 63% this year, according to motoring organisation ANWB.

In the first two months of this year, the number of jams rose by 20% but that came to an abrupt end on March 15, when the Dutch government introduced its ‘intelligent’ lockdown.

There were traffic jams again in the summer, when the good weather encouraged people to visit beaches and nature reserves. The decision by many to holiday at home also boosted summer traffic congestion above last year’s level, the ANWB figures show.

January 28 was the worst day of the year for jams, when their combined length reached 951 kilometres. The A7 Afsluitdijk, which connects Noord Holland province to Friesland, was the traffic black spot of the year because of roadworks.