Fleets warned of record traffic on ‘frantic Friday’

By Kenneth Brown

16 July 2019

Fleets have been told be prepared for ‘frantic Friday’ this week as it will see a record number of vehicles on the road. A RAC study has suggested this Friday will see the highest number of journeys in the UK.

An estimated total of 5.3 million separate trips by car will take place on Friday July 19, adding to the usual Friday rush. Saturday will see a further 5m car journeys take place, with another 3.4m set to travel on Sunday.

This is expected to be the most in one weekend since 2014. A combination of end of school term and the usual end of the working week traffic mean there could be more journeys seen on this day than last year’s 9m, and more than the record-high which was set in 2014.

Fridays are usually a busier day for the roads, however, ‘frantic Friday’ is a consequence of many schools finishing for summer holidays.

If your journey involves a trip on the M1 and M25 you can expect standstill traffic for up to 90 minutes and 60 minutes respectively. Further delays are expected on the M40, M5 and M6 this weekend.

See the table below for the best travel times and which roads to take and when, according to the RAC.

INRIX provided the data for the RAC study and uses artificial intelligence to provide up-to-the-minute traffic information.

INRIX transportation analyst Trevor Reed said: “With record-level travellers hitting the road for the start of summer, drivers must be prepared for delays on popular routes.

“Although travel times are expected to increase throughout the weekend, Friday afternoon will be the worst time to be on the road as commuters mix with holiday travellers.”

Beat the queues: An at-a-glance guide to travel this weekend

Date	Leisure trips by car	Major roads likely to be particularly busy between	Major roads likely to be less busy betweenExpected longest delays on major roads (breakdowns or collisions can significantly increase journey times across the road network)	Expected longest delays on major roads (breakdowns or collisions can significantly increase journey times across the road network)
Thursday 18 July	3.7m	Between 1.45pm and 6.45pm	After 8pm	M40 south J14 to J11: 72-minute delay from 2.45pm with an average traffic speed of 13mph M5 south J4 to J8: 64-minute delay from 6.15pm with an average traffic speed of 16mph
‘Frantic Friday’ 19 July	5.3m	Between 11am and 6.45pm	After 8pm	M1 south J16 to J6: 89-minute delay from 7.45am with an average traffic speed of 20mph M25 anticlockwise J4 to J1: 54-minute delay from 2.45pm with an average traffic speed of 7mph
Saturday 20 July	5m	Between 11am and 2pm	Before 9.30am or after 4.30pm	M20 west J7 to J3: 19-minute delay from 9.30am with an average traffic speed 18mph A30 west Pathfinder Village to Whiddon Down: 15-minute delay from 2.45pm with an average traffic speed of 24mph
Sunday 21 July	3.1m	Between 1pm and 3pm	Before 11am or after 8pm	M1 north J12 to J16: 40-minute delay from 1.30pm with an average traffic speed of 24mph M25 anticlockwise J4 to J1: 35-minute delay from 7pm with an average traffic speed of 13mph
Monday 22 July	2.8m	Between 11.30am and 6pm	After 7pm	M6 north J5 to J10a: 37-minute delay from 12.30pm with an average traffic speed of 17mph M25 anticlockwise J17 to J12: 37-minute delay with an average traffic speed of 18mph