Yahoo News Drivers warned of worst times to travel this August bank holiday weekend
Families are getting ready to head out and enjoy the August Bank Holiday weekend. But no one wants to end up stuck in a traffic jam or crawling along in miles of slow-moving cars all trying to get to their day-out destination.
The RAC is estimating that 19.2 million leisure trips by car will be made over the August bank holiday weekend – the highest number on record since 2015. And with this comes a lot of traffic, meaning that journeys will most likely take twice as long as usual.
To avoid breakdowns in traffic and potential delays on your journey, Nick Millerchip at Van Junkies has looked at the worst times to travel this weekend, along with the best times to head out on the roads. It's useful to bear these in mind if you haven't got a fixed schedule but are planning to go out at some point to visit a beach, zoo, theme park or other attraction, or to visit family and friends.
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Worst times to travel over bank holiday weekend
Nick Millerchip suggests people avoid going on the roads at these times if they don't want to get stuck in delays.
Friday: Between 10am and 6pm
This is when most people are expecting to start their journey so avoid this where possible as the roads are predicted to be busy causing traffic and delays to your journey.
Saturday: Between 10am and 3pm
Those who haven't set off Friday after work will be setting off Saturday morning so try to avoid this time too.
Sunday & Monday: Between 10am and 4pm
This is when the bulk of the returning traffic will be so when setting off home try to avoid these times.
Best times to travel over bank holiday weekend
Nick says these are the setting-off times to aim for this weekend.
Friday: Early in the morning (before 10am) or late at night (after 6pm)
This is if you can book the day off work and travel early Friday morning. If you can't, starting your journey late at night will be better. This could be the best way to avoid traffic.
Saturday: After 3pm
If you are travelling close to home, Saturday afternoon is predicted to be quieter as most will be planning to start their journey Friday straight after work or Saturday morning so by doing this you may miss a lot of traffic.
Sunday and Monday: Before 10am .
When travelling home, try to set off early in the morning to avoid the traffic build-up whether that be Sunday or Monday.
Top tips when travelling at the weekend
Nick says: "Whilst these times are a guide there is always the possibility of unexpected delays, so it is always a good idea to check live traffic conditions before you travel. You can do this by using a traffic app or website, or by listening to traffic reports on the radio." Some sat-navs also have live updates that scan for delays and roadworks.
Be prepared for the possibility of delays and pack some drinks, snacks and entertainment for the journey. Plan your route carefully and try to avoid known congestion hotspots such as busy motorways or roadworks. Even at bank holiday weekends, roadworks may still be left in place with lanes closed off with cones and miles of speed restrictions for no apparent reason.
Make sure to plan your route so you know when you can refill or recharge your car along the way. Do a check on your car before you start your journey - this includes your tyres, oil and fluid levels. Make sure your phone is fully charged and that you have an in-car adapter and cable on hand if your vehicle has a port to plug it in.
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