Good Friday could turn ‘bad’ on the roads as up to 17m Easter trips by car begin

Research by the RAC and data from transport analytics experts INRIX show there’s every chance Good Friday could turn out to be a ‘bad’ Friday for drivers this year.

With an estimated 2.7m ‘getaway’ trips expected that day, major roads in the south west of England and through some of the home counties are most likely to experience the longest delays.

The A303 westbound near Stonehenge, M5 south between Bristol and Bridgwater and M25 anticlockwise between Hertfordshire and Surrey are predicted to see more than twice the normal amount of traffic, with vehicle speeds reduced to just 12mph at some points in the day.

Easter Sunday is forecast to see a similar number of leisure journeys being made by drivers (2.7m), with Easter Saturday and Easter Monday only slightly less busy with 2.3m separate trips each. But it appears a large number of drivers are waiting to see what the great British weather has in store before deciding which day to jump in the car – with the potential for another 7m trips to be staggered throughout the long weekend.

And with planned engineering work on the railway, including the closure of London Euston station over the whole weekend, more people look certain to be forced onto the roads.

The good news for drivers, if there is some, is that National Highways is temporarily lifting around 1,400 miles of roadworks from Thursday to help alleviate the queues. Knowing that just a single breakdown can cause traffic to grind to a halt, the RAC is recommending drivers make sure their vehicles are ‘road-ready’ before setting off.

Separate RAC research found just one-in-five drivers (19%) routinely check their cars are ‘road-ready’ before making an Easter trip, increasing the potential for breakdowns to ruin the start of many people’s breaks.²

Half of drivers (51%) said they sometimes checked their cars over before setting out but an alarming 30% said they never do.

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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.

“Our patrols will be working incredibly hard over the whole Easter period, but many of the jobs they’ll attend could have been avoided if drivers had only given their cars a bit of TLC before setting out. 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.

“At least it won’t cost quite as much to fill up the family car this Easter as it did last year, although there’s no getting away from the fact that drivers of diesel cars continue to get a really poor deal at the pumps. The average price of unleaded is currently £1.46 a litre, with diesel at £1.63 when it should really be around £1.52 based on the current wholesale price. This  compares to £1.62 and £1.76 respectively this time last year, which means a tank of petrol is £9 cheaper and diesel £7 despite being unfairly overpriced at the moment.”

Bob Pishue, INRIX Transportation Analyst, 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.”

Top tips for a better trip this bank holiday – from teams at the RAC

“Make sure you’ve got enough fuel in your vehicle to get to your destination. If you’re driving an electric car, plan in your charging stops before you set out and check any faults with chargers using an app like Zap-Map.” – RAC patrol, eastern England

“Keep any important medicine that you or your passengers need in the car with you, and carry some extra medication in case you break down and get delayed.” – RAC patrol, eastern England

“Check your level of breakdown cover matches the journeys you’ll be making. If you’re driving a long distance, have you got national recovery so you can get home again if your car lets you down?” – RAC customer service agent, West Midlands

“Keep your locking wheel nut somewhere you can easily find it as this makes it quicker for us to do a tyre change if needed. And download and use the free myRAC mobile app as it makes it much easier for us to find you.” – RAC patrol, south west England

“Check your tyres every time, especially the inside front edges. And whatever you do, don’t start a journey with a known problem!” – RAC patrol, south west England

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^{Data sources: RAC and INRIX}