Bucks, Beds and Herts commuters warned of 'carmageddon' as many head on Easter holidays
The RAC's warning of some journey times being doubled
Drivers in Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire are being urged to allow extra time for travelling this week, and through Easter weekend.
More than 14 million journeys are expected to be made this Easter weekend by car, with the bank holidays aligning with many UK schools breaking up.
The new study of drivers' getaway plans, from the RAC and INRIX, also shows Good Friday could hold the worst of the delays, as an estimated 2.6 million getaway trips are planned on this day alone.
However, warning are also coming ahead of the bank holiday weekend, with Thursday expecting to see leisure trips and commuter traffic meet.
INRIX are predicting between 2pm and 7pm on Thursday to be the heaviest traffic, with the busiest route expected to be the M25, in both directions between the M23 for Gatwick and the M1 in Hertfordshire from 4pm.
It's as commuters finish their work day into the bank holiday weekend, with many others seeing schools break up and head off on getaways for Easter.
The delays for the journey on that single stretch are expected to take over two hours, which is more than double the usual time.
Drivers should be prepared for longer journey times than usual
RAC Breakdown spokesperson Alice Simpson said: “With Easter falling earlier than usual at the start of the school holidays, it could be ‘carmageddon’ for holidaymakers. 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.
"Our research shows two-thirds of drivers will be making a leisure journey on major roads at some point"
“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 (64%) 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.
“To have the best chance of a straightforward journey, we encourage motorists to check fuel, oil and coolant levels, along with tyre pressures and treads, before setting off. And if your car is due a service or there are any rogue warning lights you’ve been meaning to get checked, now’s the time to book an RAC Mobile Mechanic who can perform a complete service or run a diagnostic check at your home or work."
Bob Pishue, INRIX transportation analyst, said: “Although travel times will peak on Thursday and Friday afternoons, drivers should be prepared for longer journeys than normal throughout the entire weekend. 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.”
The research also found that one in ten of us are planning a trip over the long Easter weekend, but are undecided about when we'll be hitting the road.
This could account for an additional 3.3 million more trips over the long weekend.