Travel warnings issued for M5 amid Easter weekend rush
The RAC says this could be the busiest Easter weekend since 2022
We're told to expect lots of traffic on the M5 leaving the West Midlands this weekend - as Easter getaways get underway!
It's as more than 19 million leisure journeys are planned between Thursday and Easter Monday across the country.
Rod Dennis is a senior policy officer at the RAC:
"The M5 is definitely the one to watch.
"There will be millions of these leisure journeys taking place in our region and congestion is expected as a result."
Rod explained it's because the road heads from the Midlands towards popular holiday destinations in the south west.
"The roads heading towards the south west have an interesting characteristic that they are big holiday routes - particularly the M5.
"Previous research has indicated that it is the M5 that funnels so much of the traffic heading into Somerset, Devon and Cornwall that is likely to pick up the brunt of the jams."
Rod had this advice for avoiding the most common reason to breakdown:
"RAC figures show it's punctured tyres which is the biggest problem people run into - and it's a very easy thing in many cases for people to diagnose themselves.
"Clearly, many of us can't avoid the potholes that seem to be plaguing the UK's roads, but if you haven't pumped your tyres up recently, make sure you check them before heading out."
An estimated 2.7 million leisure trips by car are planned across the UK today and tomorrow.