The number of traffic jams in the Netherlands fell by 26% over the first three months of the year, according to traffic information firm Inrix.

In 2012, motorists spent an average of 52 hours stuck in traffic, down 15% on 2011, Inrix said last year. Despite the drop, the Netherlands remained second on the list of most congested European countries, behind Belgium, Inrix said.

In Belgium, the number of jams fell just 1% in the first three months of this year.

‘There is always a sharp correlation between the economic conditions and traffic jams,’ Inrix director Bryan Mistele said in a statement. ‘Jams show you if people are commuting to work, going out to eat and shopping.’