Britain's roads are facing their busiest pre-Christmas day on record today, with an estimated 24.4 million cars expected nationwide. The surge marks the peak of the festive getaway period, driven by last-minute shoppers, commuters and early holiday travelers converging on motorways and retail hotspots.
The Automobile Association (AA) surveyed more than 10,000 members and found that 65% planned car journeys of up to 50 miles today. A further 5% will travel between 51 and 100 miles, while 2% plan trips exceeding 100 miles. The main reasons cited for festive travel include visiting family and friends, last-minute Christmas shopping and work commitments.
Severe congestion warnings have been issued for several motorway hotspots across the UK. High-risk locations include the M8 between Edinburgh and Glasgow, the M60 near the Trafford Centre in Greater Manchester, the M5/M6 interchange near Birmingham, the M25 near Heathrow airport in west London, the M25 near Bluewater in Kent, and the M4/M5 interchange near Bristol.
Expert warning for Saturday
Traffic expert Andy Marchant from mapping company TomTom warned that Saturday will bring another wave of severe congestion. «This year's super Saturday is set to spark a surge in traffic across the UK, as last-minute shoppers and festive travellers hit the roads,» he said. «Drivers should expect the busiest periods between midday and early evening, as shopping trips, social plans and the Christmas getaway all converge.»
Marchant advised motorists to plan ahead and monitor real-time traffic updates. «Our advice is to allow extra time for your journey and keep an eye on real-time traffic updates to avoid the worst of the festive gridlock,» he added.
Last year's data from the Saturday before Christmas showed Edinburgh as the UK's most congested city, with journeys taking an average of 50.1% longer than normal. Jams were sustained between noon and 4pm. London ranked second, where 10-kilometer journeys took more than 40 minutes in the early evening. Manchester, Birmingham and Sheffield also experienced significant congestion.
Record air and sea travel
The Civil Aviation Authority forecasts 460,000 people will depart UK airports today, contributing to a record December with over 22 million total passengers expected. Christmas Day alone will see 160,000 passengers fly - 13% more than last year. The Port of Dover estimates nearly 30,000 cars will use outbound sailings during the festive period, with peak traffic between 6am and 1pm from Friday through Sunday.
The motoring organisation RAC predicts 37.5 million leisure trips by car between Wednesday and Christmas Eve - the highest number since records began in 2013. Christmas Eve is forecast to be the single busiest day with 4.2 million journeys.
Rail disruption adds pressure
Extensive rail engineering works are expected to worsen road congestion as passengers switch to cars. Major works will affect the West Coast main line, disrupting intercity journeys between London, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Scotland. London Euston will be affected from December 27 to January 4, while services to Scotland and north-west England face disruption from January 1-14.
Other closures include no trains to Leeds and York until January 2, no Cambridge and Stansted airport services until January 5, and London Waterloo closed until December 28. Coach operator National Express is adding 45,000 seats over the holiday period to meet increased demand.
National Highways announced it will lift more than 90% of roadworks on England's motorways and major A roads between 6am Sunday and the early hours of January 2. A spokesperson said: «Some work will still need to continue but our teams will be working around the clock to keep the country moving.»
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
