THE RAC has warned motorists that driving this Christmas will require more planning than ever.
Some 19.6m separate trips will be taken by car to see friends and family between today and Christmas Eve.
LNPThe M25, M60 near Manchester, M6 in the north-west and M40 in Oxfordshire will be worst[/caption]
Shockingly, 40% of all getaway journeys will be crammed into just two days.
The RAC says traffic is expected to build steadily through the course of the week, peaking on both ‘frantic’ Friday 23rd and Saturday 24th December.
It predicts 7.9m getaways over the two days expected to be made.
Christmas Eve will see rail workers striking too, which the RAC is warning will only lead to yet more traffic on the roads that evening.
And, with drivers getting away for Christmas combined with commuters and everyday motorists, total traffic volumes are likely to be far greater.
Christmas Day itself is expected to see a lot of people on the move, with an estimated 3.6m leisure journeys by car taken.
There will be a further 3.3m on Boxing Day and an extra 1.4m trips across both days.
However, with no commuter traffic on the roads, overall traffic volumes should be lower.
Transport analytics specialists INRIX expects travel times to be around 14% longer compared to the same period last year.
Stretches of the M25, M60 near Manchester, M6 in the north-west and M40 in Oxfordshire will suffer the longest jams.
RAC Breakdown spokesman Rod Dennis said: “Our research suggests getaway traffic will build steadily all week, culminating in two frantic days of travelling just before Christmas itself.
“By Friday, we fear it will be a case of ‘jams today and jams tomorrow’ on the roads as millions of people jump behind the wheel to see family and friends – with last-minute Christmas shoppers as well as the impact of another rail strike also leading to an increase in traffic.
“If possible, drivers should try to make their trips on a quieter day earlier this week if they possibly can.”