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Busiest May Day bank holiday since 2016 predicted with 13m road trips

Thirteen million leisure trips are expected to be taken by car this coming weekend, the busiest in three years, according to research of drivers’ plans conducted by the RAC.*

Friday is expected to be busiest with around 4.4m separate leisure journeys by car, 1.5m more than the same day last year, followed by Saturday (3.4m, up 900,000 on 2018) and the bank holiday itself (3.1m, up 1.2m on 2018).

Unlike during the last bank holiday just two weeks ago, the weather looks to be considerably cooler with frosts and even some wintry showers expected, meaning a driver risks starting the day with a breakdown before they’ve even set off if their battery is on the blink.

RAC Breakdown spokesman Rod Dennis said: “Despite it looking like the weather will take an usually cold turn for the start of May – certainly after the recent Easter heatwave – our figures suggest drivers are still keen to make the most of the long weekend, with significantly more saying they are planning a leisure trip by car this year than in recent years.

“However, there is a risk that drivers will suffer their own ‘motoring mayday’ if they are not careful, since the colder nights we’re about to experience could be enough to cause some older car batteries to finally give up the ghost – seriously disrupting plans for a getaway. Luckily, temperatures will rise during the day and it isn’t due to be a wash-out.

“The advice is again to try to use the roads when they are quieter, which primarily means avoiding Friday afternoon and evening if possible, and setting off earlier on Saturday, especially if travelling any great distance.”

Travel this weekend

Date

Planned ​ ​ leisure trips by car

Suggested ​ ​ best times to travel on major roads

Friday ​ ​ 3 May

4.4m

Before ​ ​ 4pm and after 7pm

Saturday ​ ​ 4 May

3.4m

Before ​ ​ 10am and after 3pm

Sunday ​ ​ 5 May

2.5m

Before ​ ​ 10am and after 3pm

Monday ​ ​ 6 May

3.1m

Before ​ ​ 12pm and after 4pm

Total ​ ​ Friday to Monday

13.4m

 

The RAC website has comprehensive advice to drivers on how to reduce the chances of a vehicle breakdown. 

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The RAC Media Centre provides journalists and news outlets with the latest motoring-related news, comment, data and research.

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The RAC is an iconic British driving services brand and has been championing drivers since 1897. Today it is one of the UK’s most trusted names, providing complete peace of mind ® to over 15 million drivers across breakdown cover, insurance, and mobile servicing and repairs.

Its nationwide patrol force attends more than two million breakdowns every year, while its position as the UK’s leading independent insurance broker helps motorists find the right cover with confidence. The RAC has also reshaped the service, maintenance and repair market with its Mobile Mechanics, who carry out servicing and repairs at drivers’ homes or workplaces.

Committed to innovation, the RAC is fully electric ready with mobile EV charging technology for stranded drivers, and a suite of digital and data‑led solutions that make motoring easier and more affordable for consumers and fleets. These services come together in myRAC – the all‑in‑one app for vehicle maintenance, cheaper fuel finding and breakdown assistance.

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