An estimated 14.4 million vehicles are expected to hit the UK’s major roads between Thursday evening and Monday morning, which could spell lengthy delays.
Research conducted by the RAC and transportation data specialists INRIX suggests Friday and Saturday will be the busiest days, with around 3.6 million cars expected on each.
The RAC recommends that drivers consider travelling at quieter times, and make sure their cars are properly prepared for the journey to avoid a summer breakdown.
PLAN YOUR JOURNEY: RAC Route Planner
Complete peace of mind for less
• Cheaper than AA Price Guarantee^
• We get to most breakdowns in 60 mins or less
• Our patrols fix 4/5 breakdowns on the spot
*At least 10% of new customers paid this or less since 12/08. Comparison based on theaa.com closest equivalent cover at 10/12. ^Find the same cover cheaper on theaa.com within 7 days & we'll beat it by 10%.
The survey showed that Thursday would be the next busiest day to travel, with an estimated 3.2 million cars heading out onto the roads, while bank holiday Monday will see around 2.4 million vehicles.
Sunday will be the quietest of the five days, although with 1.6 million cars on the roads it’s still possible that drivers will come across delays.
On Friday, the worst-hit road is likely to be the M5, with average journey times between J4 and J1 between 09:30am and 2pm expected to jump from 21 mins to 1hr 21 mins.
Saturday is expected to see the stretch of M1 between J22 and J25 badly affected, with average journey times predicted to shoot up from a typical 16 mins to just over an hour.
To help ease congestion, Highways England has announced it will complete more than 300 miles worth of major route roadworks from Friday morning.
SEE ALSO: Five of the best road trips in the UK
ALSO: Temporary car insurance - from one hour to 30 days
RAC traffic spokesman Rod Dennis warns that while the late August bank holiday might not be the busiest weekend in the year, it still had potential to cause significant delays.
He also warned that: “There are plenty of known hotspots on the motorway network but probably the single biggest one in the summer months is the Almondsbury interchange at Bristol, right by the RAC building, where the M5 and the M4 meet.
“As tens of thousands of drivers head for Devon and Cornwall the coming-together of traffic leads to regular tailbacks every Friday afternoon. Add a bank holiday and some sunshine into the mix and it’s the perfect recipe for a long wait on the motorway.”
Drivers heading out onto the roads this weekend should check out RAC breakdown cover to ensure they’re fully covered for the journey.
Did you know, you can get fined for moving out of the way of an ambulance?
Want more useful content like this sent straight to your inbox?
