IELTS Speaking Band 9 Sample Answers: Describe a time you were stuck in traffic or delayed on a journey.

I was once delayed for nearly two hours while driving to a friend's wedding because traffic stopped on the motorway after an accident. I had left with extra time, but within about twenty minutes the road had become almost completely stationary and the navigation estimate kept increasing. An official traffic update eventually confirmed that several lanes were closed while emergency services dealt with the incident.

I sent a message to my friend so the wedding party knew I might arrive late, then turned off the engine whenever the traffic stopped for longer periods. Because there was nothing useful I could do, I listened to a podcast and tried not to keep refreshing the arrival time every few minutes. When the cars finally began moving, I followed the diversion and reached the venue just before the ceremony started.

At first I was extremely frustrated because I had planned carefully and still seemed likely to miss an important event. Once I knew the delay was caused by a serious accident, though, my own inconvenience felt much less important, and I was mostly relieved that I arrived safely.