Drivers planning to take a trip this bank holiday weekend could face traffic jams as millions of families take to the roads, the RAC has warned.
The motoring organisation estimated that 17.2 million trips will be made by car across the UK between Friday, April 28 and Monday, May 1, making it the busiest early May bank holiday weekend since 2016. Congestion is expected to peak on Friday afternoon, when those heading off on weekend getaways mingle with commuters coming home from work.
Traffic is expected to be worse for the first May bank holiday than for the second long weekend marking the King's coronation, with 14.6 million journeys estimated by comparison. The reduction in journeys is believed to be due to millions of people staying at home to watch the royal events unfold on TV.
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Pressure on the roads will be increased due to disruption to train services caused by Network Rail carrying out more than 600 engineering projects. Drivers embarking on leisure trips on Friday are being advised to set off before 11am if possible – or wait until the evening – to have a better chance of missing the worst of the jams.
RAC Breakdown spokesman Rod Dennis said: "The weather might still be unseasonably chilly but this won’t stop drivers getting out and about over the double bank holiday weekends to make the most of some extra days off. While we’d expect more short breaks and day trips to the coast this coming weekend, when it comes to the coronation it’s likely major routes are less likely to be congested.
"The big variable, as always, is what happens with the Great British weather. If temperatures finally increase and the sun makes more of an appearance, we could well see many more people jumping in the car for a quick trip.
"In order to avoid any disappointment caused from cars letting their everyone on board down, we urge drivers to check tyres, oil and coolant levels as matters of priority before they hit the road," he added.
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