A massive 17.6 million leisure journeys are expected to take place by car this August bank holiday, with drivers in England and Wales eager to enjoy the last long weekend before Christmas, new data from the RAC and INRIX suggest.
The RAC expects traffic to build from Friday to Saturday with 3 million getaway trips likely to take place this Friday (22 August), rising to 3.4 million on Saturday (23 August). A further 2.4 million are planned on Sunday and 2.7 million on Monday, while an additional 6.1 million drivers are planning trips at some point between Friday and Monday.
Although the overall number of getaway journeys is down on the record figure of 19.2 million in 2024, it’s still the second highest since 2020, when 18.4 million drivers said they planned to get away as lockdown restrictions were lifted.
Busiest routes
INRIX’s data shows that the M5 between Bristol and Devon will bear the brunt of the getaway traffic, with the stretch from J15 north of Bristol to J23 for Bridgwater likely to see some of the worst delays of more than 40 minutes on both Friday and Saturday.
The M20 in Kent could also suffer afternoon hold-ups of more than half an hour in both directions on Friday, from J7 near Maidstone to J3 westbound and J1 at Swanley to J5 at Aylesford eastbound.
The busiest times to drive will be between 10 am and 7 pm on Friday, 9 am and 5 pm on Saturday, and 11 am and 6 pm on Monday.
The best time to travel on Friday is after 7 pm, whereas on Saturday it’s before 9 am and on Monday before 11 am. On Sunday, however, traffic is expected to be mostly free-flowing.
With the roads likely to get even busier if the UK’s spell of hot weather continues, the RAC is advising drivers to do everything they can to reduce the chance of a breakdown.
“With this bank holiday being the last opportunity to enjoy a long weekend before Christmas, our study shows a real eagerness to get out and about with nearly 18 million drivers planning getaway trips,” said RAC mobile servicing and repairs team leader Nick Mullender.
He added that more traffic on the roads will inevitably lead to more vehicle breakdowns, especially if the sun makes an appearance and people decide on the day to visit popular destinations.
“We’re expecting major roads to airports and coastal destinations to be extremely busy, especially the South East and South West regions, which could end up bearing the brunt of most holiday hold-ups. Anyone planning routes through these areas should set off as early as possible or be prepared to spend longer in traffic.”
Leave a Reply