Commuter traffic and business travel will clash with festive driver trips from this week, potentially bringing ‘getaway gridlock’ on the roads.
An estimated 29.3 million getaway journeys will be made this year in the run-up to Christmas Day – the highest number since 2013 – according to RAC research.
And with Christmas falling mid-week this year, the figures suggest there will be an extended period of ‘pre-Christmas panic’ on the roads, with 5.7 million trips being taken this Wednesday and Thursday alone.
The true festive getaway kicks off on ‘Frantic Friday’ 20 December with an expected three million trips and then jumps to 3.7 million on 21 December – dubbed by the RAC as ‘Snarl-up Saturday’.
Sunday 22 December looks set to see 2.9 million journeys, but the RAC’s research also reveals a further 4.7 million trips are expected at some point between 20 and 22 December from motorists who are undecided on which day they’ll travel.
However, the busiest single day for getaways is predicted to be Christmas Eve, with 3.8 million separate getaway journeys expected by car in addition to the final flurries of commuter traffic – nearly 800,000 more than the day before (23 December – three million).
To make matters even worse, there are a further 2.5 million motorists who intend to travel at some point on either 23 or 24 December.
Worst routes to travel revealed
Transport analytics specialist Inrix has also warned of lengthy jams this coming weekend.
On Friday, queues of more than 45 minutes are likely in the evening on the M3 in Surrey and Hampshire, between the M25 in west London and the south coast, and on the M25 anticlockwise from the junction with the M1 near Watford to the M23 for Gatwick Airport as drivers leave the capital for the south coast or jet off for some winter sun.
Further north, the M53 northbound from Chester to Liverpool will be worst affected by delays during home-time traffic this Friday, when drivers going home from work share the roads with those starting their getaway trips.
On both ‘Frantic Friday’ and ‘Snarl-up Saturday’, the worst time to travel along major routes will be between 1pm and 7pm, with both the RAC and Inrix suggesting drivers set off early in the morning, or later in the evening when the heaviest of the traffic should have subsided.
Boxing Day looks set to see an additional 4.4 million trips while 3.8 million trips are expected on Friday 27 December, as many people continue the festivities or head home. Drivers should try to avoid major roads during the hours of 10am to 3pm, which is when journeys are expected to take significantly longer than usual. With railway engineering work taking place at Liverpool Street, Paddington and St Pancras over Christmas and New Year, major roads to and from London are likely to be impacted. Major signalling work in Crewe and Cambridge will also affect services across the North West and East of England, meaning roads in these areas could also be much busier than usual.
Bob Pishue, transportation analyst at Inrix, said: “With so many people expected to hit the road this holiday season, drivers should expect delays in and around major cities. Planning ahead is key to avoiding the country’s worst traffic jams, either by using navigation apps or the route planner in the MyRAC app to find the best times to travel.”
National Highways ‘wraps up’ roadworks for smoother festive travel
National Highways is removing more than 1,100 miles of roadworks from motorways and major A-roads to help minimise disruption during peak travel times.
From 6am on Friday 20 December until 12.01am on Thursday 2 January, more than 95% of roadworks will be lifted.
This will help make sure major routes across the UK are clear for motorists during the busy festive period.
Roadworks being lifted or completed for the festive period include:
- More than 100 miles of roadworks on the M25 London orbital
- Over 25 miles of roadworks on the M4 between J4 near Heathrow and J14 at Hungerford
- More than 12 miles of roadworks the M27 near to J3 and Southampton
- A three-mile stretch on the M62 Ouse Bridge between junctions 36 to 37
- More than 33 miles of roadworks across the A47 from Peterborough to Lowestoft
- 28 miles of roadworks on the M1 between Hemel Hempstead and Milton Keynes
- 59 miles of roadworks on the A14 between Thrapston, Northamptonshire to Felixstowe in Suffolk
National Highways data also shows that winter breakdown incidents on major roads have increased by 22% over the last five years, with tyre issues being the top cause (19.1%) followed by loss of power (7.9%).
The acronym TRIP is an easy way for drivers to remember the four simple steps to take to prepare ahead of using motorways and major A roads this winter:
- Top-up: Fuel, oil, and screen wash
- Rest: Plan regular stops every two hours to avoid driver fatigue
- Inspect: Check tyre pressure and tread
- Prepare: Have a plan for severe weather conditions
Andrew Butterfield, National Highways customer service director, said: “With more people expected to travel during the festive period and recent storms causing widespread disruption, it’s crucial for drivers to plan ahead and exercise extra caution on the roads.
“To help make journeys smoother, we’re removing roadworks on 95% of the roads we manage and to reduce the risk of breakdowns, we are also urging motorists to check their vehicles using the handy acronym TRIP – especially tyres, coolant, and oil levels before setting off.”
