Congestion warning as festive traffic set to peak on Friday with 24.4m car trips
Christmas could be the busiest Christmas in history for UK roads, with traffic expected to peak on Friday and millions of cars on UK roads.
The AA, which made the forecast, said the upward trend was continuing as the lifting of coronavirus travel restrictions could see the busiest Christmas on record on the road.
In a survey of more than 10,000 AA members, 72 percent said they planned to travel that day; This means approximately 24.4 million cars are on the roads.
While the majority of drivers said they would stay local, nearly two-thirds of respondents said they would take a drive of up to 50 miles.
Only 5 percent said they would travel between 51 and 100 miles, while 2 percent said they planned to exceed 100 miles.
The survey also suggested that visiting family and friends was the main reason for car travel over the festive period, followed by shopping and work.
The AA said the results showed there would likely be traffic congestion around retail outlets and motorway junctions.
Some of the locations believed to be at high risk of entrapment include:
- M8 between Edinburgh and Glasgow
- M60 near Trafford Center in Greater Manchester
- M5/M6 junction near Birmingham
- M25 in west London, near Heathrow airport
- M25 near Bluewater, Kent
- M4/M5 junction near Bristol
The AA’s Shaun Jones advised drivers to plan ahead, check their routes and allow extra time.
“We know drivers will be heading out for all kinds of festive fun, from pantomimes to Christmas markets, from family visits to scenic walks,” he said.
“But with so many sleds on the tarmac, patience will be your best gift this year. Pack your essentials, keep your tank or EV charger full and don’t let traffic jams steal your Christmas sparkle. If you’re leaving your car parked over the festive period, give it a spin every few days for a few minutes to make sure it’s ready for January.”
He added that with the M27 closed, those traveling in Hampshire should consider alternative routes.
Meanwhile, mapping and location technology company TomTom issued a warning about “severe” traffic on Saturday, with many people heading out on last-minute shopping trips or getaways with loved ones.
Analysis of the Saturday before Christmas Day last year found Edinburgh was the UK’s most congested city, with journeys taking an average of 50.1 per cent longer than in free-flowing traffic. There was a period of sustained congestion in Scotland’s capital from noon until 4pm.
London was the second most crowded city, with the 10-kilometer (6.2-mile) journey taking more than 40 minutes in the early evening. Manchester came in third place, followed by Birmingham and Sheffield.
The RAC estimates that a total of 37.5 million leisure trips by car were planned between Wednesday and Christmas Eve.
This is the highest figure seen in the week before Christmas Day since the company started recording the data in 2013.
Christmas Eve is expected to be the busiest day for holiday travel during the holiday period, with 4.2 million trips.
RAC mobile service and repair team leader Nick Mullender said: “With record numbers predicted to hit the roads this Christmas, journeys have the potential to become ‘Grinch-worthy’ without careful planning.
“The week before Christmas is one of the few times when most of the UK heads out at the same time, with 2025 looking set to be the busiest breakout period since our records began.”
Meanwhile, Independent He calculated that the busiest days on the railways before Christmas would be Saturday, December 20, and Monday, December 22.
Although individual lines are likely to vary – particularly after Christmas when extensive Network Rail engineering works come into play – passengers are guaranteed a more or less crowded-free journey on 24 and 31 December and on New Year’s Day.
Rail line data for the last two years shows that the overall busiest time for passenger numbers is between 10am and 11am on the Saturday before Christmas. The three busiest routes all travel to and from London Euston, serving Birmingham New Street, Manchester Piccadilly and Milton Keynes Central.
To avoid crowds, the best day to travel before Christmas is Wednesday, December 24. However, let us warn you that services end early: The last train of the London-Edinburgh train departs at 16.30 on Christmas Eve, while the last departure of the Newcastle-Birmingham train is at 17.40.
In the UK, no trains run on Christmas Day and very few trains run on Boxing Day.
