The M25, M5 and M1 are set to see the heaviest traffic this August Bank Holiday weekend, with millions of journeys expected each day. The RAC estimates 20 million leisure trips will be made by car between Friday and Monday August 31, the highest figure since the motoring company began analysing drivers' summer bank holiday travel plans in 2015.
Congestion hotspots identified
Transport analytics firm Inrix has identified several likely congestion hotspots. These include the M25 anticlockwise from Junction 17 in Hertfordshire to Junction 12 in Surrey, and clockwise from Junction 15 in Buckinghamshire to Junction 19 in Hertfordshire. The M5 south from Junction 15 near Bristol to Junction 23 in Somerset, the M1 south from Junction 16 in Northamptonshire to Junction 6 in Hertfordshire, and the M5 north from Junction 11 in Gloucestershire to Junction 1 in the West Midlands are also expected to be busy.
'Frantic Friday' predicted
The RAC has told drivers to expect a 'frantic Friday' as people look to get away over the Bank Holiday weekend. It said Friday is 'likely to be mired in traffic', with 4.1 million getaway journeys predicted. Some 3.8 million leisure trips are expected on Saturday, 3.1 million on Sunday, and 3.4 million the following day, when day-trippers will compete for space on the roads with people returning from short breaks. A further 5.5 million journeys will be spread across the four-day period, with drivers unsure which exact day they will hit the road.
Monday is a bank holiday in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Drivers advised to set off early
RAC breakdown spokesperson Harriet Hernando said: 'With record numbers making a getaway over the bank holiday, it looks like Brits are buoyed by the persistent warm and dry weather and are more confident in making plans for the late summer bank holiday weekend – which is quite often a washout.'
'Drivers should be ready for frantic Friday and think about setting off before 10am if they can. If the warm weather continues, people should be prepared in case they get caught in a traffic jam, by carrying plenty of water.'
The impact on oil prices from the conflict in the Middle East means filling a typical 55-litre family car with petrol costs about £89 compared with £74 a year ago. An RAC survey of nearly 3,000 UK drivers indicated that 13% have scrapped their bank holiday travel plans because of higher pump prices. Some 8% said they would still make their journey but save money on other things such as accommodation and eating out.
