Drivers issued urgent warning to avoid key motorways over bank holiday weekend

With many Britons hitting the roads, the RAC has issued a further warning to drivers to avoid particular times of the day when traffic is expected to be busiest.

Around 2.8 million trips are expected to be taken on Friday, with the RAC and transport experts Inrix urging drivers to avoid the roads between 10am and 7pm, with the best time to travel coming in the morning.

Similarly, 10am and 3pm are expected to be the worst times to travel on Saturday and Sunday, with more than 5.4 million people on the roads.

Driving before 10am is also said to be the best advice for drivers on bank holiday Monday, with 10am until 3pm being the busiest.

Motorists are also being warned of the main roads that will see the longest delays, including the M1 North and South, M4 East, M5 North and South and the M25.

Gary Digva, founder of Road Angel, warned that drivers should always keep their eyes on the road, even when stuck in congestion.

Experts fear that drivers could quickly lose concentration when stuck in traffic, with motorists potentially getting bored because they can’t move forward.

He added: “With over 14 million Brits planning to hit the roads this weekend, drivers need to ensure they are paying close attention to what is happening around them, even when stuck in a traffic jam.

“As congestion starts to build up, naturally the driving speeds begin to decrease, and motorists will also decrease the distance between them and the car in front.

“This small gap between each car means that the smallest movement from the driver, such as gently breaking or taking your foot off the accelerator, can result in rear-end crashes.”

Any motorists that have the misfortune of travelling on the busiest roads will want to avoid the M1 North between Junction 12 and 16 in particular.

Inrix has warned of severe delays on the stretch of motorway on Friday will last around 55 minutes at around 1pm.

Gary Digva added: “Drivers also sitting waiting for the congestion to clear are less likely to give their full attention to the road ahead, meaning an accident is just waiting to happen.

“We are urging all motorists who plan to get out this bank holiday weekend to keep their full concentration on the road ahead, even if they’re waiting in a long traffic jam.”

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:

• Drivers can avoid expensive Congestion Charge this weekend with 'essential' work planned
• Electric car charging costs lower than petrol thanks to major Energy Price Cap change
• Number plate issues could see drivers slapped with £1,000 fine and MOT failure

The Met Office has also urged drivers to keep an eye on the weather forecast to ensure they are safe when on the roads.