The average speed drivers do on Dorset's A-roads

According to Department for Transport data, motorists in Dorset sped along at 35mph on average last year, some of the fastest drivers in England.

This was faster than the previous year by 2 per cent.

England's average A-road speed is 25mph.

The statistics also reveal how many seconds drivers will spend at a standstill for every mile they travel on an A road.

The data for Dorset shows that for every mile on one of the main roads across the area a car will be delayed by 23 seconds.

So for a daily commute of five miles a driver should add around two minutes to the journey to get to work on time. Anyone travelling 20 miles can expect a delay of around eight minutes.

The data shows there has been a fall of 6 per cent on the previous year.

And while Dorset's drivers may get furious about traffic jams, they are actually delayed less than majority of England.

England overall has an average delay time of 47 seconds per mile.

Queues can be caused by anything from fuel spills, emergency repairs and broken down lorries, to congestion during peak times.

The DfT recently announced it was investing up to £10 million in Street Manager, a programme which will pass on up-to-date information about roadworks to sat-navs and navigation apps.

It will allow local authorities and utility companies to quickly notify users on road closures or delays, by updating Google Maps or Citymapper in real time.

Roads Minister, Jesse Norman, said: "Roadworks can often be frustrating for motorists, especially when they cause hold-ups at busy times and delay journeys.

"We want to reduce this disruption and delay, and Street Manager is just one of a number of actions we are taking so that local authorities and utility companies can better plan and manage their roadworks.

"The data opened up by this new digital service should enable motorists to plan their journeys better, so they can avoid works and get to their destinations more easily."