Schools breaking up for summer and the pandemic-related staycation surge are set to create a ‘perfect storm’ of incredibly busy conditions on UK roads between now and the weekend.
An estimated 11.5 million road trips are set to take place by the end of the weekend, says the RAC – with today (21 July) set to be the busiest day with 2.6 million family trips alone.
Friday 23 July will also be busy with 2.3 million leisure trips.
The RAC is warning journey times are likely to be “severely affected” and traffic experts Inrix predict there will be a 29 percent increase in delays on Friday compared to a normal July.
RAC Breakdown spokesman Simon Williams said: “We seem to have all the elements of a perfect storm on the UK’s roads this summer – with millions of drivers having already planned their staycation trips, plus the very real prospect of huge numbers more booking last minute if their foreign travel plans end in tatters because of Covid travel restrictions.
“With the current heatwave, the scene is really set for an incredibly busy few weeks on the country’s roads.”
Motorways will be affected, he said, but so too will smaller, minor routes leading to popular tourist destinations.
“It’s never been more important to plan ahead to avoid the busiest times.”
Inrix analyst Bob Pishue also said motorists should expect delays. However, “knowing when and where congestion will build can help drivers avoid the stress of sitting in traffic, and our advice is to leave as early in the day as possible and to avoid travelling on Friday afternoon if at all possible”.
Williams added that motorists should not risk making things worse with a breakdown en route – particularly as millions of motors may only have been driven short distances during Covid travel restrictions.
“It’s not too late to reduce your chances of breaking down. This is why we can’t stress enough how important checking tyres, oil and coolant levels is.”
Day-by-day guide to delays
Wednesday 21 July
- Worst time to travel: 2pm and 6pm
- Best time to travel: after 6pm
- Specific delay hotspots: M25 anticlockwise J17-12, M25 anticlockwise J4-J1
Thursday 22 July
- Worst time to travel: 2pm and 7pm
- Best time to travel: after 7pm
- Specific delay hotspots: M25 anticlockwise J4-J1, M25 anticlockwise J7-J16
Friday 23 July
- Worst time to travel: 11am to 7pm
- Best time to travel: after 8pm
- Specific delay hotspots: A303 West Solstice Park to A36, M4 east J29-J24
Saturday 24 July
- Worst time to travel: 10am to 4pm
- Best time to travel: after 5pm
- Specific delay hotspots: M25 clockwise J7-J16, M5 south J15-J23
Sunday 25 July
- Worst time to travel: 12pm to 6pm
- Best time to travel: after 7pm
- Specific delay hotspots: M25 clockwise J7-J16, M25 anticlockwise J4-J1, A303 West Solstice Park to A36
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