Get ready for 'Frantic Friday'! Twenty million drivers to hit UK roads on busiest ever August bank holiday as potential traffic hotspots are revealed

Britain's drivers are being warned to expect a 'Frantic Friday' as millions hit the roads for what could be the busiest August bank holiday weekend on record.Some 20million car journeys will take place from Friday to Monday as families attempt to make the most of the last bank holiday before Christmas.The RAC said this total was the highest number since it started analysing summer bank holiday travel plans in 2015, warning Friday is 'likely to be mired in traffic'.The motoring organisation predicted 4.1million getaways on Friday, followed by 3.8million on Saturday, 3.1million on Sunday and 3.4million on bank holiday Monday.A further 5.5million journeys will be spread across the four-day period, with many motorists unsure which day they will hit the road until nearer the time.As day-trippers compete for space on the roads with people going on short breaks, transport analytics firm Inrix identified a number of likely congestion hotspots:M25 anticlockwise from Junction 17 in Hertfordshire to Junction 12 in Surrey, which could see delays of up to 50 minutes around midday on Friday;M25 clockwise from Junction 15 in Buckinghamshire to Junction 19 in Hertfordshire, where delays of nearly an hour are expected on Friday night;M1 south from Junction 16 in Northamptonshire to Junction 6 in Hertfordshire, which could be blighted by delays of up to 70 minutes at around 3pm on Sunday;M5 south from Junction 15 near Bristol to Junction 23 in Somerset, where delays of up to 75 minutes are predicted at noon on Friday as people head to the coast;M5 north from Junction 11 in Gloucestershire to Junction 1 in the West Midlands on Monday at around 7pm on Monday, where motorists face 45-minute delays;M5 North from junction 25 for Taunton to junction 15 for the M4 Almondsbury interchange, where delays of 45 minutes are expected at 3.30pm on Monday.The impact on oil prices from the conflict in the Middle East means filling a typical 55-litre family car with petrol costs about £89 compared with £74 a year ago. Vehicles in April on the M5 motorway in Somerset, which is set to be one of the traffic hotspotsA tank of diesel is approximately £100, up from £79 in August 2025.An RAC survey of nearly 3,000 UK drivers indicated that 13 per cent have scrapped their bank holiday travel plans because of higher pump prices.Some 8 per cent said they would still make their journey but save money on other things such as accommodation and eating out.RAC breakdown spokesman Harriet Hernando said: 'With record numbers making a getaway over the bank holiday, it looks like Brits are buoyed by the persistent warm and dry weather and are more confident in making plans for the late summer bank holiday weekend – which is quite often a washout. Rail travellers face East Coast Main Line closure Network Rail said it was carrying out less engineering work than usual for the bank holiday weekend.But thousands of passengers face disruption when the East Coast Main Line is closed between London King's Cross and Peterborough on Sunday for digital signalling work.Other impacts include track renewal works closing the busy south of London lines between London Bridge and Tulse Hill via Peckham Rye.Replacement buses will be running on affected Southern routes, but the work will also impact London Overground Windrush line services where buses will replace trains between Surrey Quays and Clapham Junction via Peckham Rye.Journeys will also be affected between Birmingham New Street and Coleshill Parkway; in the Leeds and York area; between London Charing Cross and Hayes in Kent; in the Guildford area of Surrey; and between Farnham in Surrey and Alton in Hampshire.Meanwhile East Midlands Railway (EMR) has warned of disruption to because of a strike by the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) in a dispute over safety.The walkout will hit services on Sunday and bank holiday Monday. EMR said it will run a 'significantly reduced' timetable to and from London on both days, advising passengers to only travel if their journey is absolutely essential on these dates and to check before setting out.Because of the lack of LNER trains between King's Cross and Peterborough on Sunday, EMR services to and from London St Pancras are expected to be extremely busy, with increased demand coinciding with a reduced service because of the strike action.Sheffield and Nottingham stations will also be very busy and queues to board services will be in place. 'Drivers should be ready for frantic Friday and think about setting off before 10am if they can. If the warm weather continues, people should be prepared in case they get caught in a traffic jam, by carrying plenty of water.'The RAC commissioned research company FindOutNow to conduct the survey of 2,939 UK drivers on August 17.The AA, which compiles prediction data for all road users – not just those going on leisure journeys – said Friday will see around 23.5 million drivers travelling, followed by 22.9million on Saturday, 21.7million on Sunday and 21.6million on Monday.But it added that most journeys will be relatively short. Almost 19million cars are expected to travel under 50miles on Friday, with around 18.7million on Saturday, 17.9million on Sunday and 17.7million on Monday.The AA said likely traffic hotspots will include:Local routes around shopping centres, retail parks and garden centres;Roads heading towards the east coast, including routes to resorts such as Skegness;Routes towards the South West and Cornwall, including the A303, M5 and A38;The M4 from London and routes leading towards Wales;The M6 towards Blackpool and the North West coast;Roads serving popular seaside towns, national parks, ports and airports.Lee Morley of the AA said: 'The final bank holiday before Christmas is one last chance for families and friends to make the most of a long weekend, and for most people that doesn't mean travelling hundreds of miles.'Many will be making shorter trips to see family, go shopping or enjoy a day out closer to home.'The weather could have a big say in how the weekend develops. A significant number of drivers haven't yet decided exactly what they'll be doing, so a dry spell could encourage people to head out at short notice, while heavier rain could change when and where they travel.'Breakdown rescue company Green Flag said the number of call outs it received over the summer bank holiday period last year was 13 per cent higher than the previous weekend.It warned that many drivers may be overlooking 'basic vehicle checks' before long journeys, such as tyre pressures and levels of oil and coolant.VisitEngland said its latest Trip Tracker survey found 10.6million Brits were definitely planning an overnight holiday trip in the UK this bank holiday weekend, bringing an estimated £4.3billion boost to the economy.The total is slightly down on last year, when 11.2 million Brits planned to take an overnight trip in the UK during the long weekend. The figure was 11.0million in 2024 and 9.7million in 2023.VisitEngland chief executive Patricia Yates said: 'Businesses will be looking to the long weekend for a critical late summer lift after what has been a very mixed year for many destinations.'We can also see from our latest consumer research that the cost of living remains a concern. Brits are still keen to take their breaks, however many are booking last minute and wanting to save on accommodation, activities, eating out and searching for good value options.'