Not that we think Filipinos need any reminding, but Christmas and New Year really are the worst times to go for a drive. If the unending slog of red taillights on EDSA isn't enough to deter you from heading out, this recent study by Waze might help make getting from point A to B a little easier.
The popular smartphone navigation app collected Philippine traffic data over the past year, determining what days and hours were the worst for Filipino motorists. This includes information that shows increased vehicle traffic during the Christmas season. Based on the study, the days and times with the worst traffic during the holidays (based on drivers per hour) are as follows:
*December 22 – 4pm to 6pm
*December 23 – 4pm to 6pm
*December 24 – 2pm to 4pm
*December 25 – 4pm to 6pm
*December 26 – 4pm to 6pm
*December 27 – 4pm to 6pm
*December 28 – 4pm to 6pm
*December 29 – 4pm to 6pm
*December 30 – 4pm to 6pm
*January 1 – 4pm to 6pm
*January 2 – 1pm to 3pm
Yikes. Suddenly, some last-minute Christmas shopping seems like a very, very bad idea. But if it can't be avoided, remember to reconsider driving between 4pm to 6pm over the rest of the holiday rush.
Outside of Manila, Waze tracked which key cities in the Philippines experienced the highest spike in traffic. The results show that the worst hit places during the 2016 holidays were all down south, with the exception of Angeles City in Pampanga and Naga in Bicol. Check out the data:
Naga – 2.7x increase in traffic
Angeles – 1.8x increase in traffic
Bacolod – 1.6x increase in traffic
Batangas – 1.4x increase in traffic
Iligan – 1.4x increase in traffic
Iloilo City – 1.4x increase in traffic
Cagayan de Oro – 1.4x increase in traffic
Davao City – 1.3x increase in traffic
General Santos – 1.3x increase in traffic
Zamboanga City – 1.2x increase in traffic
Last but not least, Waze was also able to determine the most popular Yuletide tunes for motorists on Spotify. Mariah Carey tops the list with her 1994 hit "All I Want for Christmas is You." We're not surprised. Here are the top five Christmas songs people stuck in holiday traffic last year were playing:
Mariah Carey – All I Want for Christmas is You
Michael Bublé – It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas
Ariana Grande – Santa Tell Me
John Lennon – Happy Xmas (War is Over)
Wham! – Last Christmas
There you have it. So plan your shopping trips and holiday outings accordingly! Merry Christmas, guys.
