Britain's roads are braced for a record-breaking festive gridlock, with a major Birmingham interchange singled out as one of the country's worst congestion hotspots. Traffic experts warn that today, Friday 19 December, is set to be the peak day for pre-Christmas travel chaos.
Record-breaking festive getaway underway
The AA predicts this year will see the busiest Christmas getaway on record, continuing an upward trend since the end of coronavirus travel restrictions. The motoring organisation forecasts a staggering 24.4 million cars will be on UK roads today.
A survey of more than 10,000 AA members revealed most drivers plan to stay local, with nearly two-thirds (65%) embarking on journeys of up to 50 miles. Only five per cent intend to drive between 51 and 100 miles, and a mere two per cent plan trips exceeding 100 miles.
Visiting family and friends is the primary reason for festive car travel, followed by last-minute shopping and work commitments. The AA warns this will likely cause significant congestion around major retail centres and critical motorway interchanges.
UK's worst traffic blackspots revealed
Several key locations across the country have been identified as high-risk areas for severe delays. Among them is the crucial M5/M6 interchange near Birmingham, a vital link in the Midlands motorway network.
Other predicted trouble spots include the M8 between Edinburgh and Glasgow, the M60 near the Trafford Centre in Greater Manchester, and two sections of the M25 near Heathrow Airport and the Bluewater shopping centre in Kent. The M4/M5 interchange near Bristol is also expected to experience heavy traffic.
'Super Saturday' warning for severe delays
Mapping technology firm TomTom has issued a separate alert for 'severe' traffic tomorrow, Saturday 20 December. Dubbed 'Super Saturday', it is when many people will make final shopping trips or travel to see loved ones.
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. The Scottish capital suffered sustained jams between noon and 4pm.
London ranked second, where 10km (6.2 mile) trips took over 40 minutes in the early evening. Manchester, Birmingham, and Sheffield completed the top five most congested cities.
TomTom traffic expert Andy Marchant advised: "This year’s Super Saturday is set to spark a surge in traffic across the UK. Drivers should expect the busiest periods between midday and early evening, as shopping trips, social plans and the Christmas getaway all converge. Plan ahead, allow extra time and keep an eye on real-time traffic updates."
Millions of leisure trips planned
The RAC forecasts a total of 37.5 million leisure trips by car will be made between Wednesday and Christmas Eve. This is the highest number recorded in the week before Christmas since the company began collecting this data in 2013.
Christmas Eve itself is expected to be the single busiest day for leisure travel during the festive period, with an estimated 4.2 million journeys.
The travel disruption extends beyond the roads. UK airports are anticipating their busiest Christmas getaway in history. Travel trade organisation Abta estimates more than five million people from the UK will travel abroad between today and 4 January.
Holiday companies report strong demand for winter sun in destinations like mainland Spain, the Canary Islands, Portugal, and Turkey. Christmas market breaks in European cities such as Tallinn, Gdansk, Vienna, and Cologne are also proving highly popular with British travellers.
