More than 13 million drivers will be setting off this bank holiday, causing heavy traffic congestion
The Great British summer bank holiday is fast approaching, bringing with it a swarm of travellers throughout the UK. And, according to a survey conducted by The AA, 39 per cent of drivers surveyed will be hitting the road this weekend. The average trip will be around 90 miles with more than 13 million motorists hitting the road.
The bank holiday essentially begins this Friday (28 August), with people taking advantage of the summer’s last weekend. The weekend will be full of people either beginning their holiday weekend or on the return home, which will inevitably mean the influx of people coupled with the plethora of events going on will surely impact traffic.
Even though more than 57 per cent of those surveyed are choosing to stay at home, the survey also revealed that the majority of those travelling will be from the East Midlands, citing 43 per cent who plan to embark on leisure journeys. Close behind are motorists from North-east England with 42 per cent. And lastly, with 41 per cent of members will be motorists from South-east England and the West Midlands.
The worst traffic is expected for Friday evening and Monday afternoon, when drivers will either be starting their journey or finishing it.
AA patrol of the year, Max Holdstock, said: “August is a full-on bank holiday weekend, so it’s always a bit of a mad scramble on the roads. The busiest times will be Friday evening and Monday afternoon, so try to allow extra time if you’re travelling then.Routes to the South-west and the coast are usually among the busiest; and there will be localised congestion around events, particularly at finish time.
“If you’re travelling with children, take plenty of things to keep the entertained; and break up any journeys more than three hours long,” Holdstock advised.
Contributing to the traffic this weekend will be the considerable amount of music festivals such as Reading and Leeds, Creamfields, Towersey Festival, and many more that are set to go on. The iconic Notting Hill Carnival will also take place this weekend in London.
On top of all of the festivals are a few sports events that people will surely be swarming to including the rugby league’s Ladbrokes Challenge Cup Final at Wembley and the MotoGP at Silverstone.
Even though the amount of respondents are down one per cent from last August, the AA will still be taking plenty of precautions. Around 35,000 breakdowns were reported by the AA last year over the long weekend. The UK’s biggest breakdown provider seeks to remedy this with extra patrols on duty, especially in the more congested areas.
Some other results accumulated by the survey revealed that 18 per cent of people have a plan in mind for their journey but 21 per cent have no idea where they intend to go. The areas in which people would rather stay at home are concentrated in South-west England (59 per cent), Wales (58 per cent), and North-west England (57 per cent).
Any motorists planning weekend trips are encouraged to proceed with caution. Enjoy and be safe out there.
