Traffic jam warning ahead of ‘busiest Christmas getaway ever’

Drivers planning Christmas getaways are being warned to expect long queues due to record traffic levels.

The AA predicts that Friday December 20 will be the busiest day on the roads during the festive period, with around 23.7 million drivers planning a trip.

That’s more than the busiest Christmas day of the year since AA began recording data in 2010.

The second worst traffic jam days during the 2024 holiday season are expected to be Saturday, December 21 and Monday, December 23, each with 22.7 million drivers on the road.

So-called amber traffic warnings were issued by the AA for all three days.

The troubleshooting company has identified several likely congestion hotspots, including:

More than half of journeys over the Christmas period are expected to be no longer than 50 miles.

The AA said Christmas Day falling on a Wednesday could help expand festive travel this year, but could also mean more days of long delays as many people leave work on Friday, December 20, followed by shopping trips. last minute and visits to friends and family.

Drivers are advised to carry essentials such as warm clothing, food, water and a fully charged phone in case their journey takes longer than expected.

Chris Wood, AA Patrol of the Year, said: “The Ghost of Christmas Past shows that every year preventable breakdowns turn into miles of queues on the roads.

“Drivers can keep the Christmas cheer alive by carrying out basic checks on their car before any journey.

“This includes topping up your windshield washer fluid and antifreeze, checking your lights, and adjusting your tire pressure to a full charge if necessary.

“As people travel fewer miles, this means there will be more localized congestion as record numbers of people use the roads this festive period.

“The best way to ensure hassle-free travel is to plan it well.

“Check traffic reports before you leave and try to travel when it’s quieter if you can, or consider taking a different route to avoid traffic jams.”

Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day should be the quietest days on the roads.

Although December 25 is typically the day with the fewest breakdowns in a year, the AA said it would still have patrols available across the country.

She helped 2,400 members on Christmas Day 2023.

Rail engineering works will cause increased pressure on the roads with the closure of several lines.

London Liverpool Street station will be closed from Christmas Day until January 2 and no trains will call at London Paddington between Friday December 27 and Sunday December 29.

There will be no direct services between Crewe and Liverpool – and a reduced service between Crewe and Manchester – from Saturday December 28 to Friday January 3.

Services in the Cambridge area will be disrupted between Friday December 27 and Sunday January 5, affecting CrossCountry, Greater Anglia, Great Northern and Thameslink.

Major engineering work will take place on the Thameslink network over the festive period, closing several lines.

No trains will run between Harpenden and London from Saturday 21 December to Sunday 29 December.

Meanwhile, Railways Minister Lord Hendy has expressed concern that Christmas train services could be disrupted by a shortage of staff.

Many train drivers and other crew members do not include Sunday work in their contracts, and many operators often rely on them to volunteer to work extra paid shifts to run scheduled services that day.

Giving evidence to the Commons Transport Select Committee on Wednesday, Lord Hendy said the Government was concerned about “Christmas service staff”.

Alex Hynes, chief executive of the Department for Transport’s rail services group, added: “In general, as a system we are too reliant on overtime for train staff.

“It’s a risk, which may be worse at Christmas than at other times.”