It is anticipated that bank holiday traffic will reach pre-pandemic levels this weekend.
The AA surveyed 14,778 members, with the results revealing 42% are either planning or have already arranged to make the most of the long weekend. This suggests as many as 13.3 million cars could be hitting the roads.
After factoring in normal weekend traffic, this points to there being up to 18.4 million cars on UK roads over the bank holiday.
This is a return to 2019’s figure – in comparison last year’s bank holiday saw only 37% plan to go away.
However, while there may be an increase in people hitting the roads, there’s still been a change in our behaviour. While 2019 saw 23% carry out a 50 mile or more journey, this has now dropped to 13%. This is still a rise from last year’s August bank holiday, which was 9%.
The AA is also encouraging drivers to check their vehicles before heading off on tour. If you’re new to caravanning and are unsure what to check before heading off, this includes checking the condition of your tyres and preparing your vehicle for the road.
Edmund King, the AA’s President, said: “Weather is always a big decider on where people spend their bank holiday. However, AA research suggests that local traffic may be heavier this time”.
“There are likely to be big delays on the roads where holiday traffic mixes with sporting or shopping day trippers. Drivers are advised to check their cars before venturing out.”
“Covid’s disruption to people’s lives is still noticeable in the 10% fewer long-distance trippers this August. The drop in longer trips might be due to the difficulty in booking accommodation away from home due to more families taking their holidays in the UK.”
“Journeys have not yet returned to pre-lockdown patterns. Certainly, government statistics show that car travel since the easing of restrictions has been edging towards 95% of pre-pandemic levels – but that is with public transport use still way down on what it was before Covid. September and the expected return of more people to offices will be a huge pointer to how much the coronavirus has changed the way we live, work and travel.”
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The drop in longer trips might be due to the difficulty in booking accommodation away from home due to more families taking their holidays in the UK.
