With railway strikes scheduled across the festive period, the UK’s roads are set to be busier than ever as people make their way home for Christmas.
Now, the AA has shared what it is forecasting to be the worst days to take to the roads if you’re hoping to head home without being stuck in a good old-fashioned traffic jam.
The AA has estimated that the busiest days for traffic will be December 23 and Christmas Eve with nearly 17 million cars hitting the roads across the UK.
Of the 12,000 motorists the AA surveyed, 51% plan to make a car journey on December 23, with the rest planning to make a trip the next day on Christmas Eve.
Many are opting to travel by car this festive season due to ongoing strike action from the RMT, with rail strikes set to go ahead on Christmas Eve until the 27th of December.
The M25, the M5 between Bristol and Weston-super-Mare, and the M6 around Birmingham have also all been named as ‘congestion hotspots’ to be wary of when heading home for Christmas by the AA.
The M1 from Luton northwards, the M60 and M62 in north-west England and the M4 which runs between west London and south-west Wales are also all expected to see lengthy delays.
AA president Edmund King said: “While December 23 and Christmas Eve look set to be the busiest travelling days, planned industrial action by rail staff may lead to increased levels of cars on our roads.
“Our expert patrols will be working throughout the holidays to help fix cars that suffer problems, while providing assistance to drivers should they be involved in a crash.
“Many breakdowns are preventable, so checking your vehicle before you set off is very important.”