Drivers expected to take 168 million leisure trips this bank holiday weekend

Drivers are expected to take 16.8 million leisure trips by car this bank holiday weekend, making it the busiest since 2016.

Research from motoring organisation the RAC suggests bank holiday Monday will be the busiest day for individual journeys, with 3.3m expected to take place. This is followed by 3m on Saturday and 2.6m on Sunday.

On top of this, a further 5.6m people were planning to take a trip at some point between Saturday and Monday, but were unsure on exactly which day, leaving 2.3m travelling Friday.

However, the high price of petrol and diesel appears to be having an impact on just how hectic it will be on the roads, as 14 per cent of the 850 people surveyed said this was the specific reason they would not be going away.

By comparison, just six per cent cited this reason for not going away over Easter this year.

RAC traffic spokesperson Rod Dennis said: “Easter might only have been a couple of weeks ago, but it looks as though plenty of drivers are still looking to make the most of this May Day bank holiday.

“We expect routes to classic tourist hotspots – especially the coasts – to clog up on Friday afternoon and through Saturday morning, although according to our research Monday could turn out to be the busiest day of the long weekend.

The RAC has shared some top tips to avoid a breakdown and make sure drivers don’t face any extra stress over the holidays. It says that a well-maintained car is the best way to avoid any major car issues, so getting a check up if you have any concerns before a big trip is a good idea.

It’s also a plan to make sure your locking wheel nut is in the car in case a tyre change is needed, and if you have any accessories on the car such as bike racks and roof racks, you should double check they are securely fastened.

Published: 29/04/2022 by Radio NewsHub