UK May Day Weekend Traffic - It’s All Down to the Weather!
Trafficmaster, the leading traffic and travel expert, predicts that sunshine and solace will encourage more people onto the roads over the May Day Weekend
With the May Day holiday weekend falling between the Easter holidays and the late Spring Bank holiday; it is traditionally not the busiest time on the roads. However the latest Easter traffic statistics recorded that many people took to roads to seek solace and respite during the holiday period after the last depressing two years of economic gloom. If the weather conditions are good we will see more significant leisure traffic movement across Britain’s roads. However with weather forecasts uncertain, traffic is predicted to remain fairly local or around major events.
Georgina Read at Trafficmaster, comments: “We do expect an increase in traffic compared to the last two years, which is down to recent trends and events, such as the rise in taking shorter breaks at home, rather than holidays abroad – further encouraged by recent uncertainty in air travel and the sudden deterioration of weather conditions just before the Easter holidays. However much of the travel over the weekend will be weather dependent.”
Traffic will principally be focused around local May Day events and a number of key national events scheduled to take place during this weekend. These include:
- The 1,000 and 2,000 Guineas Horse racing meeting at Newmarket
- Motor and motorcycle racing at Brands Hatch and Oulton Park
- Air displays at Abingdon and Old Warden,
- The Historic Commercial Vehicle Society’s London to Brighton Run
- Other transport rallies at Rushden, Llandudno, Woburn, Peterborough and Beaulieu – will bring both spectators’ and participants’ vehicles on to the roads.
On Friday 30th April, the main commuter routes (especially M1, M3, M6 and M25) will experience heavy congestion from 2.00pm onwards as people make their way home for the weekend or start their May Day holiday journeys early.
The main holiday routes to face congestion and slow traffic from late afternoon into the evening on Friday 30th April are:
- M5, A30, A38 and A303 towards the West Country
- M27 and A31 towards the Dorset coast
- M56 and A55 into North Wales
- M6 and M55 into Lake District and Blackpool
- A64 towards Yorkshire coast
- A47 towards East Anglian coast.
These roads may also be busier than usual on Saturday 1st May, as some people will start setting off for their weekend break then. Further heavy traffic will occur around retail outlets and the many local events taking place over the weekend.
