More than 27m getaway car trips predicted as schools break up for summer

Drivers are on course to undertake an estimated 27 million leisure trips by car as the vast majority of schools break up for the summer, new figures suggest.

Data from the RAC and transport analytics specialists INRIX shows that with most schools closing on Tuesday, July 23, holidaymakers will be making 2.4m getaway car journeys on that fire day alone – with traffic building gradually towards the weekend.

Between Monday, July 22 and Thursday, July 25, it’s expected that 13m getaway journeys will be undertaken before a customary rush over the first weekend of the summer holidays begins. On Friday, July 26 – dubbed ‘Frantic Friday’ by the RAC – it’s predicted that a total of 3.2m trips will be made as holidaymakers and commuters combine on the roads.

Congestion is set to peak on Saturday, July 27, however, with a total of 3.6m journeys expected, followed by a further 2.9m trips on Sunday. The RAC also states that a further four million getaways will be undertaken between Friday and Sunday, resulting in a total of 13.8m trips which could be made over the course of the weekend.

Records show that these three days could end up being the second-busiest getaway weekend since 2015, which has only been topped in 2022 with 18.8m taking to their vehicles following a series of Covid-related lockdowns.

Drivers are being advised to avoid travelling between 12pm and 5pm on Friday and Saturday and between 11am and 1pm on Sunday. The single worst queue is expected to take place on Saturday lunchtime on the M5 heading south between junction 15 for the M4 and M5 near Bristol and junction 23 for Bridgewater as holidaymakers flock south to Devon and Cornwall.

RAC Breakdown spokesperson Alice Simpson said: “Anyone heading off on holiday on Saturday or Sunday should expect a weekend of woe on the roads with journeys taking far longer than normal. If you can’t set off really early, then it’s highly likely you’ll be sitting in traffic for quite some time.