Road safety groups in Rutland are urging people not to use mobile phones when stuck in traffic

Road safety groups in Rutland are urging people to check their car before travelling this weekend.

Drivers face a "hat-trick of hold-ups" as the bank holiday weekend coincides with the end of the Easter holidays for many schools, a motoring organisation warned.

The RAC said traffic will be "equally severe" on Thursday, Good Friday and Saturday, with an estimated 2.7 million leisure trips by car planned across the UK each day.

More than 19 million leisure journeys are planned between Thursday and Easter Monday, including 6.2 million which drivers intend to make over the period but are unsure on the exact day.

There's going to be a lot of traffic on the road

Johnathon Clarkson from the Rutland and Leicestershire road safety partnership said:

"There's going to be a lot of traffic on the road during the weekend."

"It's important people are well rested and plan ahead and make sure their vehicle is in good order."

"Phones can be used for navigation and taking calls but it's very important they're mounted securely."

"If anything is distracting you from your driving that could raise attention from local police."

Anything distracting you from your driving could raise attention from local police

Easter is three weeks later this year than in 2024, which is expected to affect road use.

RAC breakdown spokesperson Alice Simpson urged drivers to expect "extremely high levels of traffic from Thursday onwards".

She said: "The late bank holiday weekend clashes with the end of the Easter break for many schools - which we think will change the nature of this year's getaway."

"Although journey numbers are still very high, we're anticipating more day trips and weekend breaks than people heading off on one and two-week stints."

"This could lead to a hat-trick of hold-ups on Thursday, Friday and Saturday as drivers visit family and friends."

"Drivers shouldn't expect to escape the queues if they don't plan the best time to set off."

"It's always best to travel as early as possible in the morning or later in the day when most of the traffic has eased, especially if headed to popular holiday destinations such as the West Country, Scotland or Wales."

Hear all the latest news from across the UK on the hour, every hour, on Greatest Hits Radio on DAB, smartspeaker, at greatesthitsradio.co.uk, and on the Rayo app.