AA Roadwatch are warning people travelling home for Christmas to exercise caution on the roads.
Commuter traffic on the country's main routes is expected to peak on Friday, December 20 and Saturday, December 21.
Meanwhile, regional towns are expected see an increase in traffic over the weekend and into next week.
Conor Faughnan, AA Director of Consumer Affairs said: “It’s quite likely that traffic will be a bit more spread out this year than it was in previous years, as those travelling further afield for Christmas may opt to delay their journey into the weekend.
"However, we do expect that Friday will be a busy day on our roads, with traffic starting to build in the afternoon as the first wave of the Christmas exodus takes place.
“With this in mind, we would encourage people to exercise additional caution when driving over the latter half of this week and into the weekend as you can expect both an increase in traffic volume, but you will also have a large number of motorists driving in areas they may be less familiar with.
"If you are travelling on Friday or over the weekend we would encourage you to allow some extra time for your journey, adjust your speed to the weather conditions that present themselves, and to remember that there will still be a large number of pedestrians and cyclists on rural and urban roads so it’s important to reduce your speed and leave extra space where possible."
Motorists are being advised to plan ahead of long journeys and make sure their tyres and lights are in good condition before setting out.
