Millions of extra motorists are thought to take to British roads this weekend with the Easter holidays in full swing.
Drivers will be taking advantage of the extra days off to go for an extended weekend away or to visit family.
Unfortunately, this does mean that there will be far more cars on the road than normal, meaning longer journeys and delays for many.
While we can’t promise that our tips will dodge all the queues, our holiday road travel tips will certainly allow for easier Easter journeys.
Here are our top five tips.
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1. Pick your times
Depending on where you’re travelling, by picking your time carefully it could mean less traffic. We know it’s not always possible, but if you’re thinking of travelling to visit family on Thursday night, it could be worth avoiding the mix of commuter and holiday traffic by starting your journey bright and early on Friday morning.
Mid to late morning and late afternoon are usually the worst times to travel, so work your journeys around those times to avoid heavy delays.
2. Plan ahead
With more traffic guaranteed to be on the roads over the weekend, it’s worth leaving plenty of extra time for potential delays that you might encounter. This is particularly important if you have any pressing engagements – catching a flight, for example. With potential snow and bad weather forecast, this is even more important.
You should also check the traffic of your journey before setting off. Route planning sites and apps, such as Waze, can tell you the quickest way to get somewhere, while also providing up-to-the-minute journey times and news of potential delays. You can also tune in to local radio stations, too.
3. Plan fuel stops carefully
If you’re planning on going on a long journey, it’s worth fuelling your car beforehand. This way it means you can avoid expensive motorway filling stations that can cost up to 20p more per litre.
If you do need to fuel your car while on the motorway, get a passenger to look at local filling stations just off the motorway, which could mean you pay up to £10 less to fill up at one of these than if you paid for fuel at a motorway service station.
4.Bring plenty of supplies
It’s inevitable at some point over the holidays that you will end up stuck in a traffic jam. While you can hope that it will only be a small hold-up, it’s worth taking supplies, such as food and drink, as you never know quite how long you may be stuck in queue for.
Also if you’re carrying children in your vehicle over Easter, make sure you take enough toys, games and gadgets to keep them occupied on long journeys to restrict the inevitable “Are we there yet?”.
5. Drive sensibly and to the conditions
With more traffic expected to be on the roads, it’s more important than ever to drive to the conditions and traffic levels.
With traffic jams expected, keep a good distance at all times between you and the car in front, so that if you do come across a sudden queue, you can safely stop and prevent further incidents.
Also make sure you obey variable traffic limits on motorways, too. They are there for a reason as they help traffic flow, so stick to them and it should help you to make swifter progress.
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