Busiest summer holiday getaway for years expected on Britain’s roads this weekend

18.8 million escapes by car planned this weekend

This weekend will be the busiest summer getaway in at least eight years, drivers have been warned (Andrew Matthews/PA) (PA Wire)

“Frantic Friday” could see an extra 4.29 million more leisure drivers on the roads, as schools in England and Wales break up for summer.

The RAC and transport analytics specialist Inrix drivers estimate motorists are planning an estimated 18.82 million separate leisure trips between Friday and Monday.

This is the highest number recorded for the long weekend since the RAC started tracking summer getaway numbers in 2014.

Leisure traffic volumes look set to peak on Saturday 23 July with 4.62 million separate road trips.

The RAC recommends motorists start their journeys either very early in the morning or later in the evening to avoid the inevitable queues.

Most of the congestion is expected in the southern half of England and eastern South Wales, with the M25, M4, M5 and A303 likely to see some of the worst queues.

The worst congestion on the M25 is predicted to be between Bromley and the Dartford Crossing; from Maple Cross to the M3; and from the M23 (for Gatwick) to the M40 (for Oxford), which takes in Heathrow.

The A303 near Stonehenge, M4 between Cardiff and Newport and M5 south of Bristol are also likely to see queuing traffic at various points during the weekend.

RAC Fuel Watch data shows the cost of filling a 55-litre family car with petrol costs £30 more this summer than last, and £42 more than in 2020.

RAC Breakdown spokesperson Rod Dennis said: “The extreme heat that’s affecting much of the UK in the last few days might wane over the next few days, but we still expect the summer getaway to begin with a bang as a potentially record-breaking number of drivers take to the roads this coming weekend – and that’s despite the unbelievably high cost of fuel.

“The very last thing drivers want is to break down and at best have to wait to be fixed at the roadside or, at worst, face an unexpected large garage repair bill. 

“A huge proportion of the estimated 300,000 breakdowns our patrols will attend in the coming six weeks are avoidable if drivers make sure they look over their vehicles before any long drive. A breakdown is so much less likely if a vehicle’s oil and coolant levels, as well as tyre pressure and tread depth, have all been checked before setting out.”

National Highways head of road safety, Jeremy Phillips, said: “Unsafe tyres put you and others at risk as well as running the risk of attracting a hefty fine and penalty points.

“A simple check on tyre tread and pressure could prevent a breakdown and make sure you get to your destination safe and sound.”