August bank holiday expected to be the busiest in nine years for drivers – are you prepared?

An estimated 19.2 million getaway trips are expected between Friday and Monday.

The coming bank holiday is set to be the busiest in nine years as more drivers take to the roads, according to research from the RAC.

Saturday is anticipated to be the busiest of the three days, with a projected 3.7 million journeys planned.

This is compared with 3.2 million trips on Friday, 3.1 million on Sunday and a slightly lower three million journeys on Monday.

Furthermore, an extra 6.2 million journeys are estimated to take place with many drivers still undecided about when to travel.

These figures mark the highest predictions for the August bank holiday since the RAC started recording data for this weekend in 2015.

“With the end of the school holidays fast approaching it seems day trips will be the main cause of traffic this weekend, so for many drivers it could be a case of ‘day trip delays’,” explained RAC Breakdown Spokesperson Alice Simpson.

Transport analytics specialist INRIX expects delays to last all day Friday and Saturday, meaning drivers can expect longer travel times and severe traffic across parts of the country.

“As our data shows, this weekend is likely to be the busiest August Bank Holiday on the roads for nine years, so it’s important everyone ensures their vehicle is in good condition to avoid facing an unwanted breakdown,” said Simpson.

With this in mind, having some form of breakdown cover can give you peace of mind when making extended journeys, and can keep you from being stranded should something go wrong.

Planning a trip abroad?

While the RAC’s data showed that 84% of people plan to use their cars for days out, 10% of respondents stated they’d be using their extended weekends to go on holiday in the UK or abroad.

The Port of Dover will be expecting more than 20,000 cars during the bank holiday for both out-bound and in-bound journeys.

“We expect to welcome back in the region of 9,000 cars to the UK throughout the weekend, as people return from their summer break,” said Port of Dover Chief Executive Doug Bannister.

If you are planning a trip abroad this weekend, you may want to also consider a travel insurance policy, which can give you protection against financial losses, health risks and other incidents.