London has lost more than three-fourths of road traffic since the lockdown began, Google data suggests.

New graphics have revealed the major drop in traffic levels in some of the UK’s biggest cities amid the ongoing lockdown.

The visualisations use Google traffic data to compare pre-lockdown road conditions with those since the Government introduced travel restrictions, revealing decreases of more than 80 per cent in some cities.

The study used weekday data for the period between 8.30am and 8.40am - peak commuting time - and compared April 2020 to the to the period immediately before the lockdown restrictions were introduced.

What does the data say for London and other cities?

Across London, there was a 77.6 per cent drop in road traffic, with both the city centre and notorious M25 far quieter than usual.

Every other city in the UK examined also showed a massive drop in traffic as shops, tourist attractions and other businesses closed and most people either stopped working or began to work from home.

Belfast saw the greatest decrease in traffic, with a 83.5 per cent drop, just ahead of Cardiff’s 83.07 per cent.

In Scotland, Edinburgh, where the compact city centre is usually a log-jam of cars, buses and vans is virtually jam free on the post-lockdown map, reflecting a 77.3 per cent fall in traffic as commuters obey instructions to stay at home.

It’s a similar picture in Belfast, where traffic is suddenly flowing freely on the usually-congested A12 and A24, and in Newcastle, where traffic hotspots including the Tyne and Redheugh bridges have seen huge drops in the number of vehicles.

Who compiled the data?

The data was put together by Leasing Options to see how closely motorists were sticking to the travel restrictions.

Official reports from the Cabinet Office estimate that traffic around the UK has fallen between 60 and 80 per cent since the lockdown began on March 23.

However, the quieter roads have raised other issues, with police reporting significant increases in the number and severity of speeding offences.

Some forces have seen cases increase by more than 50 per cent and the Metropolitan Police has stepped up patrols after reporting offenders reaching more than 70mph in 20mph zones.