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Beware The Bank Holiday Rush
26 - May - 2014

 

Beware the bank holiday rush!

We all know the feeling of doom when we’re planning a getaway over the bank holiday; do we leave early, do we leave late?  Do we take the kids out of school for one day to beat the traffic?  Or do we just put up with the congestion?  There is no right or wrong answer; bank holidays and travel chaos go hand-in-hand!  And this bank holiday weekend looks like it is going to be no exception to the usual rule…

The AA and Trafficmaster are warning that they are expecting 17 million cars (no, it’s not a typo!) will take to the roads this bank holiday weekend, resulting in one puncture every minute and 10,300 flat batteries!  Not to mention Green Flag’s estimated 51,000 breakdowns over the weekend!  Want to know their other statistics?  13 drivers every hour will lock their keys in the car; one driver every 15 minutes will put the wrong fuel in the tank… and I bet the list goes on!

What makes predictions that this bank holiday will be travel chaos is the fact that it’s the start of half term – I can hear your groans already!  And for this reason, beware that the travel misery won’t be restricted to just the roads; rail services are warning that there could be delays due to engineering works in some places, and there may well be changes to West Coast services between London and Rugby.  Airports are also expected to be busy as many families look to head overseas for the half term holidays.  Air shows, music festivals and sporting events – horse racing at the Goodwood Festival, cricket at The Oval, golf at Wentworth, Rugby Union’s Heineken Cup at Cardiff - are likely to add to congestion on numerous motorways, not to mention the predicted endless stream of day-trippers to the coast and some the UK’s glorious beaches…

So, if you are planning on travelling anywhere this bank holiday (or half term week, for that matter!), be prepared for extra traffic and delays on major routes!  Allow extra time to get to your destination and if you’re journeying by car, check the basics – tyre pressures, oil and water levels, windscreen washer, extra pair of clothes, mobile phone topped up and fully charged, emergency contact numbers, refreshments – a little bit of time carrying out these checks could make all the difference!  Above all, make sure you you’re safe and have fun!