‘Summer scramble’ hits UK roads as 14,100,000 drivers head on holiday

With school out for summer, families are heading on holiday in their millions (Picture: Gareth Fuller/PA Wire) We’re in for the busiest weekend on UK roads in four years, as millions of drivers embark on day trips and holidays. Armed with parasols, pool floats, and camping gear, families are flocking to beaches, caravan parks, and campsites to make the most of the more bearable temperatures as the figures drop to the mid-twenties. The RAC has estimated that 14.1million motorists will hit the roads between Friday and Sunday, with Saturday set to be the most hectic as 3.8m head on summer getaways. Friday and Sunday’s numbers have been predicted at 3.4m. Meanwhile, with some drivers unsure which day they would be setting off, a further 6.8m trips will be spread across the three days. Sign up for all of the latest stories Start your day informed with Metro's News Updates newsletter or get Breaking News alerts the moment it happens. This marks the second-highest since data tracking began in 2016, surpassed only by 2022’s 18.8m as the nation scrambled to travel when Covid-19 lockdown restrictions were lifted. Staycations have become increasingly popular (Picture: PA) It comes as the majority of students in England and Wales finish for the six-week break this month, while schools are already out in Scotland and Northern Ireland. As for where everyone’s headed on their staycations, which have only grown in popularity in recent years, the south-west and north-west of England have been told to expect the most leisure traffic. A number of likely ‘congestion hotspots’ were also identified by the transport analytics company Inrix. These include the M1 southbound from Northampton (junction 16) to Watford (junction 6), the M25 clockwise from Junction 15 (the M4) to Junction 19 (Watford), and the M25 anticlockwise from Junction 17 (Maple Cross) to Junction 12 (the M3). RAC spokesperson Harriet Hernando said that ‘drivers should plan their journeys, thinking about setting off earlier or later in the day to avoid traffic jams’. ‘People should prepare for delays and getting stuck in a jam in potentially very hot weather,’ Hernando added, urging travellers to ‘carry plenty of water, as well as sun cream, and an umbrella to provide shade’. Additionally, the Port of Dover had approximately 7,500 outbound cars on Friday and 10,000 today, with a statement issued this afternoon reading: ‘Traffic remains steady, with an approximate 32-minute wait time in the buffer zone. The Port of Dover in Kent has seen 10,000 outbound cars today (Picture: Gareth Fuller/PA Wire) ‘All operators currently have queues building at their check-ins, while the port approaches remain clear and traffic is flowing well. Safe travels!’ Ferry passengers had already been instructed not to arrive earlier than two hours before departure, with wait times reaching an hour yesterday. Speaking ahead of the summer scramble, Port of Dover bosses said it had done ‘absolutely everything’ for the influx amid fears of severe delays due to new EU border checks. Doug Bannister, chief executive of the Kent port, said it was ‘very disappointing’ that a new Entry/Exit System (EES) processing facility – built as part of a £40m investment – was not being used for cars because the technology had not been activated. During the May half-term, the port declared a ‘critical incident’ when waiting times soared to four-and-a-half hours, and there were around 8,500 outbound vehicles. The new Entry/Exit System (EES) was rolled out in April to improve border security (Picture: Justin Tallis/AFP via Getty Images) EES was rolled out fully in April, with passengers having their fingerprints registered and photographs taken to enter the Schengen Area. The countries included are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. For the majority of UK travellers, this process takes place at foreign airports, but it is also carried out at the Port of Dover, Eurotunnel’s Folkestone terminal and London St Pancras railway station. The new automated IT system is designed to improve border security within the EU and its neighbouring countries by registering travellers from non-EU countries each time they cross a border in or out. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. For more stories like this, check our news page. Arrow MORE: The heatwave was leaving me sexually frustrated – until I found the answer Arrow MORE: The EU’s new border system has run into yet another problem: identical twins Arrow MORE: I’m cycling 1,000 miles with my two young kids to prove mums can do anything News Updates Stay on top of the headlines with daily email updates.