Worst day to travel this bank holiday as 16 million Brits warned of motoring “mayhem” by RAC
Including the exact times and routes to avoid if you want to miss the worst of the congestion
THE RAC has revealed the worst day to go on the road this bank holiday as it warned 16 million Brits of travel “mayhem”.
Research by the organisation and transport analytics firm suggests that traffic will be “well above pre-Covid levels” despite an “unsettled” weather forecast.
The first of two May bank holidays, the weekend is a traditional staycation rush for UK drivers.
A whopping 16 million of them are expected to clog up major roads across a four day period from Friday to Monday.
Analysis from the RAC suggests that Saturday May 4 will be the worst day for congestion, with an estimated 3.3 million journeys taking place.
A further 2.3 million are set to travel on Sunday as well as another 2.6 million on Monday.
However, that doesn’t account for a wild card set of 5.6 million journeys expected to be taken at some point across the weekend, with drivers still working out exactly when they will make their way.
That’s despite a relatively uncertain weather forecast which could see the holiday turn into a damp squib for some.
The Met Office is predicting “unsettled” conditions for much of the country, with a chance of rain, especially in southern parts.
The forecast for the weekend reads: “A fairly uncertain period through the bank holiday weekend with more likely a warm but cloudy period with bright spells, greatest in the north and showers more likely in the south.
“However there is also potential for a more unsettled spell to spread from the west with fresh winds and bands of rain mid-weekend, signals still unclear regards this.”
Nonetheless, temperatures are set to remain fairly mild, with highs of around 18C in London on Sunday and most other regions seeing the mercury reach the mid-teens across much of the weekend.
Fortunately for motorists, the RAC was also able to reveal the exact times to avoid if you don’t want to get caught up in the “mayhem”.
As you might expect, the best times to set off are before 9am or after 5pm, with Friday expected to see the worst of the delays.
And the organization urged drivers to give select routes a wide berth thanks to excessive traffic.
The M5 southbound between Bristol and Taunton is predicted to be the worst hit, with estimated delays of over two hours on Friday afternoon.
Similarly, the M53 southbound from Liverpool to Chester could see Brits sitting in their cars for an extra 45 minutes.
Major routes across the South and South West could see journey times increase by half too, with particular hotspots on the M55 A30 and A38 from Cornwall to Exeter.
Drivers should expect the lengthiest hold-ups on major roads to and from popular destinations this weekend.
Bob Pishure
RAC Breakdown spokesperson Alice Simpson said: “With COVID travel restrictions a thing of the past, catching up with friends and family is still the first priority for nearly half of drivers making leisure trips over the bank holiday.
“Since 2022 – the first full year since mobility restrictions lifted – drivers appear to be much more eager to make the most of the May Day weekend, with the total number of getaway trips this year far exceeding the average since 2017.
“We’re anticipating a ‘crescendo of cars’ on the road over the weekend with as many as three million motorists making leisure trips on Saturday alone.
“In addition to the majority of motorists planning day trips and short breaks, our data shows local routes to city and out-of-town shopping centres could see heavy traffic, so it’s best to head out early morning or evening if possible.”
Bob Pishure, transportation analyst for INRIX, added: “Although delays won’t be as severe as Easter, drivers should expect the lengthiest hold-ups on major roads to and from popular destinations this weekend.
“Delays will likely peak on Friday afternoon with some areas seeing usual travel times double as holiday drivers vie for space on the roads with commuters.”