The UK is braced for unprecedented festive gridlock today, with motoring organisations warning drivers to prepare for a record-breaking Christmas getaway on the roads.
Peak Festive Traffic Hits Roads
The AA has issued a stark warning, forecasting that a staggering 24.4 million car journeys will be made across Britain on Friday. This figure marks what is expected to be the busiest Christmas exodus since records began, continuing an upward trend since pandemic travel restrictions were lifted.
Data from a poll of more than 10,000 AA members reveals that the majority of motorists plan to stay relatively local. Almost two-thirds (65%) intend to make a trip of up to 50 miles, with just 5% travelling between 51 and 100 miles and a mere 2% venturing over 100 miles from home.
Congestion Hotspots Revealed
With visiting friends and family cited as the primary reason for travel, followed by shopping trips and work, the AA anticipates significant tailbacks around major shopping centres and critical motorway junctions.
Several key locations have been identified as being at high risk of severe congestion:
- The M8 between Edinburgh and Glasgow.
- The M60 near the Trafford Centre in Greater Manchester.
- The M5/M6 interchange near Birmingham.
- The M25 near Heathrow Airport, west London.
- The M25 near Bluewater in Kent.
- The M4/M5 interchange near Bristol.
"Super Saturday" Set to Add to Chaos
Further travel misery is predicted for Saturday, dubbed a festive "Super Saturday" by location technology firm TomTom. The company has alerted drivers to expect "severe" traffic as last-minute shoppers and travellers hit the roads.
Analysing data from the Saturday before Christmas last year, TomTom found Edinburgh was the UK's most congested city, with journeys taking an average of 50.1% longer than in free-flowing conditions. London followed closely behind, with Manchester, Birmingham, and Sheffield also featuring in the top five for gridlock.
"Drivers should expect the busiest periods between midday and early evening, as shopping trips, social plans and the Christmas getaway all converge," advised TomTom traffic specialist Andy Marchant.
Separately, the RAC predicted 37.5 million leisure journeys would be made between Wednesday and Christmas Eve, the highest pre-Christmas figure since it began collecting data in 2013. Christmas Eve itself is tipped to be the peak day for festive leisure travel.
National Efforts to Keep Traffic Moving
In a bid to ease the festive pressure, National Highways has announced it will suspend over 90% of roadworks on England's motorways and major A-roads from 6am on Sunday until the early hours of January 2nd.
The travel surge is not confined to the roads. UK airports are also preparing for their busiest Christmas getaway on record. Travel association Abta estimates that more than five million Britons will fly abroad between Friday and January 4th, with winter sun destinations and European Christmas markets proving particularly popular.
