14 million drivers to hit UK roads in biggest summer getaway in years

More than 14 million drivers will make leisure trips between Friday (17 July) and Sunday (19 July) as schools close for summer, the highest number in four years, according to new figures from the RAC.

The total is the second highest since RAC records began in 2016, beaten only by the 18.8 million trips recorded in 2022 as the country emerged from Covid lockdown.

The RAC is warning of a “Saturday summer scramble”, with 3.8 million journeys – the largest single-day figure – expected on Saturday (18 July). Friday and Sunday will each see an estimated 3.4 million trips, with a further 6.8 million drivers yet to decide which of the two days they will travel.

Another 16.2 million trips are expected between Monday (13 July) and Thursday (16 July) as drivers stagger their departures to beat the traffic.

The getaway comes despite fuel costing considerably more than last summer. Filling a 55-litre family car now costs £8.90 more with petrol and £12.20 more with diesel, driven by high fuel prices following the Iran war.

RAC breakdown spokesperson Harriet Hernando said squeezed household budgets may be pushing families towards staycations rather than the expense of going abroad, alongside concerns over cancelled flights, higher air fares and EU border delays.

Busiest routes

Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset and the Northwest of England will draw the most holidaymakers at 9% of trips, followed by the Sussex and Kent coasts and Scotland at 8% each, East Anglia at 7% and Wales at 6%.

Drivers face significant delays on major routes, according to data from transport analysts INRIX.

• The M1 South between J16 and J6 is expected to be worst hit, with delays of around 80 minutes from 10am on Thursday 16 July.
• The M25 clockwise between J15 and J19 will see 40-minute delays from 7pm the same day, with a further 45 minutes anticlockwise between J17 and J12 from 7am on Friday.
• The M60 clockwise between J7 and J18 will see half-hour delays from 4.30pm on Friday.
• Saturday’s worst congestion is forecast on the M25 anticlockwise between J17 and J12 from 2pm.

The Port of Dover has advised ferry passengers not to arrive more than two hours before sailing and to stick to main routes to avoid congestion on local roads.

Hernando said RAC patrols attended a fifth more breakdowns during the June heatwave, with tyre blowouts, flat batteries and overheated engines the most common faults.

She urged drivers to check oil, coolant, tyre tread and pressures before setting off, and to carry water, suncream, a phone charger and a portable battery pack in case of breakdown.

Drivers with existing faults such as dashboard warning lights should have them checked by a mobile mechanic or garage before travelling, she said.

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