Delays on West Midlands roads expected as bank holiday getaway begins
Drivers are being warned over long delays on major routes.
Drivers heading away for the late August bank holiday are being warned to expect delays on roads across the West Midlands.
More than 14 million journeys by car are expected to take place this weekend, according to a survey by the RAC.
This is 1.8 million more than during last year's summer bank holiday weekend.
Pressure on the roads will be increased further on Saturday when train services will be disrupted due to thousands of members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) at 14 train operators striking in the long-running dispute over pay, jobs and conditions.
RAC spokesman Simon Williams said: "With fuel prices much lower than last summer's record highs, it's clear from our research that many more drivers are planning to make the most of what the UK has to offer over the last bank holiday of the summer.
"And if the weather is kind, even more people may decide to take trips, swelling numbers on the road further still and possibly adding to the inevitable delays.
"Those looking to have uninterrupted journeys should aim to travel very early to beat the jams, or if that's not possible, much later in the day if they're planning to be travelling on Friday.
"With breakdown numbers already well exceeding previous years, we're urging drivers to do all they can to avoid finding themselves broken down at the side of the road by carrying out a few essential vehicle checks before setting off."
Plan ahead, drivers told
National Highways is lifting almost 1000 miles of roadworks this weekend to help ease congestion on the road network.
National Highways Senior Network Planner, Frank Bird said: “It’s really important that drivers play their part in helping to keep people moving this August Bank Holiday because we expect roads to be busy.
“We’d say it’s good practice to make sure there is enough fuel to reach the destination and we’d also remind people to keep an eye on the gauge during the journey. We’d also say top-up the screen-wash to make sure you have good visibility of the road ahead.
“We’re also calling on motorists to plan regular rest stops because we know that long journeys can be tiring. Every two hours we’d advise people to stop, grab a coffee and get some fresh air for at least 15 minutes before carrying on with their trip.”