Bank Holiday Road Chaos Commences

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23 August 2019

The misery that is travelling by road on a Bank Holiday weekend is likely to start early as good weather will see people setting asap on their 16.5 million or more leisure trips.

That's the figure RAC and INRIX have estimated for trips between Friday and Monday.

Friday and Saturday are expected to be the busiest days, with a combined 9.4 million trips on those two days, followed by bank holiday Monday itself with around 3.7 million separate leisure journeys.

But the reality may be there are even more trips than this – given the weather looks set to improve in much of the UK after some decidedly Autumnal conditions, many more families might decide to take a last-minute day trip or short break to enjoy the long weekend.

M25

Data from transportation analytics specialists INRIX indicates some of the worst major roads for delays will include the M25 anticlockwise (between J1 and J4) and the M6 north (between J18 and J24) on Friday and the M6 south (between J27 and J13) on Monday, with delays of up to an hour on each of these stretches.

Christmas

RAC patrol of the year Ben Aldous said: “For many people, this coming weekend is the last chance to enjoy a long weekend this side of Christmas – and with the weather improving that’s likely to mean a lot of cars on the road heading to popular tourist destinations.

“A lot of the breakdowns we expect to see this weekend are preventable, so it’s vital drivers check over their car before setting out. Tyres with plenty of tread and properly inflated are far less likely to cause drivers problems and it’s crucial that oil and coolant are at the right levels too. All are quick, easy things to check and can save drivers the hassle of a breakdown at the roadside.”

Record level

Trevor Reed, transportation analyst at INRIX, said: “Bank holidays have historically been one of the busiest times for road trips and this year drivers could even see a record level of travel delays. Knowing when and where congestion will build can help drivers avoid the stress of sitting in traffic.”

Roadworks

Melanie Clarke, Highways England’s customer service director, said: “We’re doing everything we can to make journeys as smooth as possible and that’s why we’re keeping 97 per cent of the road network we manage, free from roadworks."

Main Picture: There could be record for travel delays this Bank Holiday. Below: The time and places to avoid.

Article written by Brian Shillibeer | Published 23 August 2019

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