Millions of motorists face ‘weekend of woe’ as RAC warns of traffic hotspots

The RAC [1] has issued a warning to motorists about potential delays on the roads this weekend, which is expected to be one of the busiest times of the year. As schools break up for summer, many families are planning trips to visit relatives or go on holiday, leading to predictions of heavy traffic on both Saturday and Sunday this weekend. Alice Simpson, a spokesperson for RAC Breakdown [2], advised families planning to travel over the weekend to allow plenty of time for their journey and to set off as early as possible to avoid delays.

She warned: "Anyone heading off on holiday on Saturday or Sunday should expect a weekend of woe on the roads with journeys taking longer than normal. If you can't set off really early, then it's highly likely you'll be sitting in traffic for quite some time. "Our research suggests this year's getaway is set to be busier than average, possibly due to the UK inflation rate having slowed, giving people a bit more confidence to spend.

However, with our recent bad weather [3] causing an increase in international travel bookings, queues to major airports should not be underestimated."

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The RAC is particularly concerned about Saturday, July 27 2024, which they predict will be the busiest day on the motorways, with around 3.6 million journeys expected, reports the Express [5]. The organisation also expects to see 2.9 million trips occur the following day, and a further four million to take place on either day of the weekend, a total of 13.9 million potential vehicles on the roads. As a result, the UK could face the second-busiest holiday weekend since 2015, with only 2022 being busier in recent years.

During that weekend, a staggering 18.8 million families took to the roads to take advantage of the good weather and lack of travel restrictions imposed during the Covid pandemic for the past two years. Bob Pishue, motoring expert at the transport analytics firm INRIX, urged drivers to keep themselves informed of any traffic issues ahead and during their journey. He added: "Drivers should expect long queues on major roads when heading to and from their destinations during this summer getaway.

To receive the most up-to-date travel information available, they should monitor news outlets and use the RAC's route planner to receive live traffic updates. "Being flexible with your route - whether it's the time you leave or a journey that's longer in miles with fewer delays - could also reduce the stress of being held up and make for a more enjoyable trip." To help drivers steer clear of frustrating traffic jams, both the RAC and INRIX suggested that motorists should try to avoid travelling between 12pm and 5pm on Friday, July 26 and Saturday, July 27 and between 11am and 1pm on Sunday, July 28. Motorists are being advised to avoid major airports and ferry ports where possible, as these locations are expected to be crowded with holidaymakers.

INRIX has also warned drivers to steer clear of the M5 southbound between junctions 15 and 23, which is anticipated to experience the worst traffic over the weekend, with many people planning to use this route to reach Devon and Cornwall.

References

^ RAC (www.mirror.co.uk)
^ RAC Breakdown (go.skimresources.com)
^ weather (www.mirror.co.uk)
^ Samsung Galaxy ZFlip6: Where to buy in the UK as new phones go on sale (www.mirror.co.uk)
^ the Express (www.express.co.uk)