The RAC is warning drivers that congestion will start to get heavier. Traffic conditions could be made worse with millions of people planning a trip at some point between Friday and Sunday
Motorists are bracing for a summer of gridlock as a staggering 27 million car journeys are predicted to clog up roads – potentially causing hours of delays.
The big summer getaway is kicking off and drivers are being warned about the risk of lengthy hold-ups. The RAC has issued a stark warning that traffic jams will intensify from Tuesday, July 23, as holidaymakers hit the road en masse. Teaming up with Inrix, traffic gurus have forecasted a whopping 2.4 million trips by car on Tuesday alone, with Wednesday seeing 2.6 million and Thursday another 2.5 million.
This week is set to be jam-packed with 13 million trips, with Friday earning the name ‘frantic Friday’ amid alerts of a “weekend of woe”. Saturday’s expected to see 3.6 million journeys, with Sunday not far behind at 2.9 million. To top it off, four million people are planning excursions between Friday and Sunday, which could exacerbate the already dire traffic conditions.
RAC Breakdown’s Alice Simpson advises that travel times will skyrocket over the weekend. She’s urging drivers to depart extra early or risk being stuck in traffic “for quite some time”, reports Birmingham Live. Simpson said: “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 causing an increase in international travel bookings, queues to major airports should not be underestimated. We’d advise drivers to plan their routes well in advance if jetting off abroad this week.”
Bob Pishue, transport analyst at Inrix, said: “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.”
