Traffic increase as school holidays and Easter weekend clash
More than 14 million journeys are expected to be made by car this Easter weekend, according to a new study of drivers’ getaway plans from the RAC and INRIX.
Road experts are warning that Good Friday could see delays for drivers as an estimated 2.6 million getaway trips by car are due to be made on that day alone. More than two million journeys are planned for both this Thursday and Easter Monday.
An additional one-in-10 drivers are planning a trip over the long Easter weekend but are currently undecided exactly when they’ll hit the road, leading to an estimated 3.3m more trips staggered over these dates.
On Thursday, transport analytics specialists INRIX predict traffic to be heaviest between 1400 and 1900 as getaway traffic combines with people making regular commuting trips.
The busiest route is expected to be the M25 in both directions between the M23 for Gatwick and the M1 in Hertfordshire from 1600. Journeys on this stretch are expected to take more than two hours which is more than double the usual time.
For those spending the first full week of the Easter holidays away from home, the busiest route to return on will be the M5 northbound between Taunton and Bristol on Friday 5th April at 1500. It’s estimated journey times will take two and a half hours.
‘Leave plenty of time for your journey’
‘Leave plenty of time for your journey if you’re using the M5 corridor to Devon and Cornwall as this is notoriously busy in the holidays,’ explains Gary Hesketh, RAC patrol, Exeter.
‘Check your coolant and oil levels, make sure your tyres are in good condition and remember to check the spare too.’
‘Anyone who can delay leaving on Thursday 28 March until much later in the evening or set off as early as possible on Good Friday is likely to have a better journey than those who travel during the peak periods of the day,’ says Alice Simpson, RAC Breakdown spokesperson.
‘On every journey there are key pinch points where you can save yourself lots of valuable time if you can get through before everyone else.’
‘This will be especially true over the whole Easter holidays as our research shows two-thirds of drivers will be making a leisure journey on major roads at some point.’
‘Lengthy queues can be expected along routes to the usual hotspots like the West Country, the Lake District and the south coast, especially during the middle of the day when most people make trips.’
‘While a good proportion of drivers aren’t yet tying themselves to a date, there may be even more cars on the road than anticipated if the sun decides to make an appearance.’
‘Although travel times will peak on Thursday and Friday afternoons, drivers should be prepared for longer journeys than normal throughout the entire weekend,’ says Bob Pishue, INRIX transportation analyst.
‘Adjusting departure times’
‘To avoid the longest delays, we advise adjusting departure times so you’re not travelling in peak commuter hours. Knowing when and where congestion will build can help drivers avoid the stress of sitting in traffic.’
‘This is the first bank holiday of the year, so we expect the roads to be busy with people looking to make the most of a long weekend,’ says Andy Butterfield, Customer Services Director at National Highways.
‘We encourage people to plan ahead and prepare their cars in advance for long journeys as this can help reduce the risk of breakdowns.’
