May Day bank holiday drivers facing heaviest traffic in three years
Research by the RAC suggests more than 13 million car journeys will take place between Friday and Monday
Motorists are facing heavy congestion and long delays as research suggests this could be the busiest May Day bank holiday in three years.
A survey of 1,687 UK drivers by the RAC suggests more than 13 million leisure trips will take place between Friday May 3 and Monday May 6. Friday is expected to be the busiest single day by far, when 4.4m journeys will be undertaken – up a considerable 1.5m on last year.
The recovery service recommends drivers avoid driving on Friday evening if possible, and suggests setting off early in the morning or late in the evening from Saturday to Monday to avoid the worst of the traffic.
RAC Breakdown spokesman Rod Dennis said: “Despite it looking like the weather will take an usually cold turn for the start of May – certainly after the recent Easter heatwave – our figures suggest drivers are still keen to make the most of the long weekend, with significantly more saying they are planning a leisure trip by car this year than in recent years.
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“However, there is a risk that drivers will suffer their own ‘motoring mayday’ if they are not careful, since the colder nights we’re about to experience could be enough to cause some older car batteries to finally give up the ghost – seriously disrupting plans for a getaway. Luckily, temperatures will rise during the day and it isn’t due to be a wash-out.”
The figures are higher than those seen during the Easter bank holiday weekend just two weeks ago, despite the warmer weather, when 12 million leisure journeys took place.
