Wednesday is the worst day for traffic jams, according to a congestion index out today.

The worst UK traffic bottleneck is a section of the M5 heading towards the M6 at Birmingham, the index from traffic information company Inrix showed.

Manchester drivers suffer from jams the most, spending an average of 72 hours a year stuck in traffic.

The index also revealed that UK drivers spend more time in traffic compared with drivers in Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg and Holland. London ranks second after Paris as the most traffic-clogged city among the six countries analysed.

Looking at the UK, the index showed:

• Wednesday is the worst traffic day, with Monday the worst for morning congestion
• The worst commuting hour for drivers is 8am to 9am on Mondays, with Friday having the worst evening commute
• Despite these evening jams, Friday is the best weekday for traffic
• The most congestion-free weekday commuting hour is 6am to 7am on Fridays

The Birmingham-bound section of the M5 considered the worst bottleneck was found to be jammed 63 hours a week in 2009/10, with an average speed below 15mph when congested.

Inrix said if you happened to be driving on this stretch on a Friday from 5pm to 6pm you could conceivably cycle along faster than your car, with an average speed of just 8mph.

According to the index, the top worst UK traffic bottlenecks are:

1. Birmingham: The M5 heading towards Birmingham at the M6
2. London: The Blackwall Tunnel Approach at Blackwall Lane in south-east London
3. London: Canterbury Way heading towards the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge at the M25