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Drivers warned to expect busy roads this Bank Holiday weekend

Motorhomers planning to use the late May Bank Holiday for a getaway have been warned to expect traffic and busy roads, with 19.2 million leisure car trips anticipated between Friday and the end of Monday.

The analysis, carried out by the RAC and INRIX, suggests this will be the busiest late May bank holiday since 2019.

After carrying out a nationally-representative survey into the plans of 2,138 drivers, it seems Saturday, Sunday and Monday will be the busiest, with an estimated 3.3 million leisure journeys to be carried out by car each day.

However, Friday could end up having the worst congestion, with an anticipated three million leisure getaways combining with the end of the working week.

That’s not all though, with further traffic to be caused by the additional 6.3 million trips anticipated over the May bank holiday weekend.

Anyone using the M25 to reach their designated motorhome site should expect it to be a particular traffic jam hotspot, INRIX has warned. The transport experts said this includes clockwise from J23 for Hatfield to J28 for Chelmsford, as well as anticlockwise towards the Dartford Crossing, where it could take as much as three times longer than it usually would.

Anyone travelling on the M5 in Somerset and M6 in Cheshire and Greater Manchester is also being advised to expect holdups.

RAC Breakdown spokesman Rod Dennis said: “With the travel restrictions imposed during Covid now thankfully a distant memory, it’s clear drivers’ desire to getaway has been reignited with our figures for this coming weekend suggesting leisure traffic volumes will be close to what we last saw in 2019.”

Dennis added: “With so many households under the cosh financially, we’re concerned that a lack of essential maintenance might lead to more avoidable breakdowns than we’d normally see. So we’re reminding everyone to ensure their cars are as ready for a getaway as they can be – if a vehicle hasn’t been serviced recently, this is the week to get one done by a qualified professional.”

Take a look at our motorhome sat nav guide if you’re after a navigation aid for when you’re driving your ‘van.

Lead image: Getty Images/iStockphoto

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