Traffic delays 'to last weeks'

DRIVERS at the beginning of the summer holiday getaway are being warned of weeks of delays on the roads.

The first major jams will be on Friday July 25, and the five Saturdays that follow, starting July 26 and ending August 23, are expected to be the most congested days of the summer.

From traffic information company Inrix, the warnings included forecasts that hour-long journeys on Friday could take up to 90 minutes.

The company added that drivers could expect every subsequent Saturday up to and including August 23 to be 25% more busy than usual, with the busiest Saturday likely to be August 9.

South east and north west England are expected to see the worst of the hold-ups.

"With more cars on the UK's roads than ever before, the unwary traveller could face many hours stuck in queues with the potential for missed flights or ferries – a nightmare start to any holiday," said Chris Lambert of Inrix.

He went on: "Summer Saturday traffic can be far busier than even the very worst weekday rush hour, which shows the scale of the problem facing drivers this summer.

"Drivers should plan their journeys carefully and make them at the quietest times of day."

RAC spokesman Simon Williams said: "With the length of the summer holidays providing people with plenty of choice as to when they go away, we would expect to see motorists hitting the road over a longer period of time, rather than a big rush to get away.

"However the unpredictable nature of the British summer weather is likely to be a big influence, and if the sunshine decides to come out this weekend thousands will head to coastal areas to make the most of the weather."

By Peter Woodman, Press Association Transport Correspondent