RAC reveals best and worst times to travel this Easter weekend

The RAC estimates up to 17 million trips will be made by car for leisure purposes over the bank holiday

Drivers warned to expect severe queues as up to 17 million trips by car are expected to take place during the Easter bank holiday weekend (Aaron Chown/PA) (PA Wire)

The RAC has revealed the worst times to travel over the Easter weekend with motorists warned there will be more than twice as much traffic on the roads as usual.

As the UK prepares for the four-day weekend, the motoring group estimates up to 17 million trips will be made by car for leisure purposes over the bank holiday.

Good Friday (7 April) and Easter Sunday (9 April) are expected to be the busiest on the roads.

That’s when the largest number of journeys will likely be made, causing long delays and traffic queues, especially in the south and west of the country.

Research from the RAC with transport analytics experts Inrix suggests that Friday may not be so good for anyone travelling by road, with around 2.7 million getaway trips expected to be taken.

Major roads through the southwest of England and the Home Counties of Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire are expected to see some of the worst delays.

The A303 westbound in Wiltshire, which takes drivers right passed Stonehenge, the M5 south between Bristol and Bridgewater and the M25 anticlockwise between Hertfordshire and Surrey, will see more than double the usual amount of traffic, according to predictions.

Vehicle speeds could drop to as low as 12mph despite all three being main roads.

Easter Sunday is expected to be just as busy, with 2.7 million journeys made, while Saturday and Monday are only predicted to be marginally quieter, with 2.3 million journeys.

Some Britons will be waiting to see what the weather has in store for the long weekend before deciding when to take a trip out – so there could be up to 7 million more trips staggered across the weekend.

Roads will be even busier because of planned closures on the railways, including the closure of London Euston station for the entirety of the bank holiday.

Some roads will see twice as much traffic as usual over the Bank Holiday as people go away for the weekend (PA)

But National Highways is temporarily halting and clearing around 1,400 miles of roadworks from Thursday to help manage traffic on the roads.

The RAC urged drivers to make sure their vehicles are road-ready if they do plan to travel – as a single breakdown can cause a standstill traffic jam.

Separate research from the RAC found that just one in five drivers check their cars on a regular basis, but 30 per cent said they never check.

RAC Breakdown spokesman Rod Dennis said: “With many people keen to make the most of the double bank holiday this Easter weekend, we’re expecting the customary jams across parts of the road network to make this Good Friday a bad Friday for drivers, especially those who are planning on covering longer distances. Traffic volumes could be even higher if the sun chooses to make a welcome appearance.

“The south and west of the UK are the areas to watch as they’re home to some vital roads responsible for carrying vast numbers of people to the holiday destinations of the West Country – so our advice to anyone heading that way is to get on the road as early as possible on Good Friday, or travel on a different day entirely.

“No one wants a breakdown to get in the way of enjoying a well-earned break, so it’s a good idea to check tyres have plenty of tread and are properly inflated, and that oil, coolant and screenwash are all at the right levels under the bonnet. Following this advice can significantly reduce the chances of breaking down.

INRIX transportation analyst Bob Pishue said: “We expect a large jump in holiday driving with most congestion occurring on major roads around urban areas and popular destinations.

“Nationwide, we anticipate travel times during the holiday weekend to increase about 25% compared to normal. Knowing when and where congestion will build can help drivers avoid the stress of sitting in traffic.”