‘Frantic Friday’: More than 5.3 million leisure car journeys to be made today as summer holidays begin
More than 5.3 million leisure car journeys will be made today as families get away for summer on what has been dubbed “Frantic Friday”.
Drivers will take 13.4 million trips this weekend, the highest number in five years and 4 million more than last year, according to a study by the RAC and Inrix.
With summer getaways added to normal traffic, today could be the worst day for congestion, added the RAC.
Wet weather will only add to the poor driving conditions, especially in the South West, according to Met Office deputy chief meteorologist Mark Sidaway.
The roads will continue to be congested over the weekend, as 5 million leisure trips are planned tomorrow, followed by 3.4 million on Sunday.
Specialist data from Inrix shows the M1 and the M25 will be the most congested, with jams of up to 90 and 60 minutes respectively.
During the weekend, the M40, M5 and M6 will see more congestion.
“Traffic jams are pretty much guaranteed from the end of this weekend and while it’s possible to predict where some of these will be, every summer we see extra delays caused by broken-down vehicles blocking lanes, leaving drivers faced with hours of frustration,” said RAC patrol of the year Ben Aldous.
“With record numbers of travellers hitting the road for the start of summer, drivers must be prepared for delays on popular routes,” added INRIX transportation analyst Trevor Reed.
“Although travel times are expected to increase throughout the weekend, Friday afternoon will be the worst time to be on the road as commuters mix with holiday travellers.”
Meanwhile, eight miles of the M5 has been closed northbound in Somerset following a fuel spill. Highways England confirmed that the stretch between junctions 26 and 24 had been closed.
Today is also the busiest day for some UK airports, with a record number of travellers expected to fly off for summer this weekend.
