UK drivers are being urged to avoid major routes during peak times this Friday and Saturday as record levels of Christmas holiday traffic are expected to cause long queues across the country.
The RAC, in partnership with transport analytics company Inrix, predicts that a total of 29.3 million festive journeys will be made between Wednesday and Christmas Eve, the highest number recorded since tracking began in 2013.
Traffic is expected to be at its heaviest between 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday. Key hotspots for congestion include the M3 between the M25 junction and the south coast, the M25 anticlockwise between junctions with the M1 and M23, and the M53 from Chester to Liverpool.
Approximately 3 million leisure trips by car are expected on Friday, with an additional 3.7 million planned for Saturday. The RAC predicts that Christmas Eve will see the peak of getaway traffic, with 3.8 million journeys.
Alice Simpson, spokesperson for the RAC, explained, “With Christmas falling on a Wednesday, many drivers will squeeze in their getaway trips right up until the big day. While the getaway starts ramping up from Friday, Saturday and Christmas Eve will see particularly challenging traffic conditions. Travelling outside of peak hours may be the only way to avoid the worst of the jams.”
A separate RAC poll of 1,074 adults revealed that 53% of people were opting to travel by car for the flexibility and convenience it offers. Over a third (35%) said their journey would take too long by public transport, while 34% found public transport impractical due to traveling with multiple people or heavy luggage.
To help ease congestion, National Highways confirmed that more than 95% of roadworks on England’s motorways and major A roads would be lifted from 6 a.m. on Friday and not reinstated until January 2. This includes 45 miles of roadworks on the M1, which were originally put in place for the installation of emergency smart motorway stopping areas.
Andrew Butterfield, customer service director at National Highways, emphasized the importance of planning ahead: “With more people expected to travel this festive period and recent storms causing disruption, it’s crucial for drivers to plan ahead and drive with extra caution. We’re doing our part by removing roadworks on 95% of the roads we manage to help make journeys smoother.”
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