Motorists across the United Kingdom are being urged to prepare for severe delays on Boxing Day, with an estimated 19.7 million car journeys predicted to clog the nation's roads. Traffic experts have issued stark warnings as millions set out to visit loved ones or hunt for post-Christmas sales.
Peak Times and Major Congestion Hotspots
The AA has forecast that the busiest period will fall between 10am and 7pm, advising drivers to travel outside these hours wherever possible. In collaboration with transport analytics firm Inrix, the RAC has pinpointed several key motorway sections likely to experience the worst gridlock.
The identified congestion blackspots include:
- The M25 clockwise from Junction 7 to Junction 16.
- The M25 anti-clockwise from Junction 17 to Junction 12.
- The M40 northbound from Junction 8A to Junction 10.
- The M1 southbound from Junction 16 to Junction 6.
- The M6 northbound from Junction 5 to Junction 10A.
Reasons for Travel and Festive Forecast
A major survey of over 10,000 drivers revealed that visiting family and friends remains the primary reason for festive travel, cited by 60-63% of respondents planning journeys up to January 5. Shopping trips follow closely behind (47-52%), while work commutes will account for 27-29% of all car travel.
Specifically for Boxing Day, the data shows that 49% of those surveyed intend to drive up to 50 miles, with a further 9% planning longer trips. The traffic surge is expected to continue beyond the holiday, with 22 million journeys forecast for Saturday, December 27th.
Rail Disruption and Post-New Year Surge
Pressure on the roads will be intensified by significant ongoing disruption to rail services. While Network Rail states 95% of lines are unaffected by engineering works, key routes face closures. Major projects on the West Coast Main Line will impact travel to and from London Euston until January 4, and services between Scotland and north-west England until January 14.
London Waterloo will operate a reduced timetable until January 5, and several other regional routes, including links to Stansted Airport, are suspended. This rail chaos is set to push more travellers onto already congested roads.
In the South, drivers are contending with the continued closure of the M27 in both directions between Junctions 9 and 11 until 4am on January 4 for major works, severely disrupting travel between Southampton and Portsmouth.
Looking ahead, the AA predicts a brief respite on New Year's Day with an estimated 18.0 million trips, before traffic rebounds sharply. Volumes are forecast to hit 20.7 million on January 2 and 22.0 million on January 5 as the return to work and school begins in earnest.
AA patrol expert Shaun Jones commented on the festive pattern, noting: "New Year’s Day stands out as the quietest moment in the whole period, giving drivers a rare chance to avoid congestion. But the calm is short-lived. By January 2, traffic rebounds fast as work and school return, and breakdown call-outs rise sharply."
For those not travelling, the advice is to use the time to prepare vehicles for January by checking tyres, batteries, screenwash, and fuel levels. National Highways has confirmed that over 90% of roadworks on England's motorways and major A-roads were lifted by December 21 and will not resume until after January 2.
