Driving home at Christmas could take up to six times longer than usual
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- Gridlock expected this weekend with the M6 the worst hit
LONDON--Dec. 18, 2012: Today, INRIX, a leading international provider of traffic information and driver services, can reveal that driving home for Christmas will take up to six times longer than usual with 18 million drivers on Britain's roads. The mass Christmas exodus will be busiest between 4 and 6pm on Friday 21st December when up to 60% of all drivers will be heading away for the festive season with roads across the South struggling the most.
Top Busiest Roads for Christmas Traffic
The M6 tops this year's list of worst delays with a typical 10 minute journey through Walsall potentially taking almost six times longer than normal; expect one hour delays to travel between Warrington and Stafford. Journeys on the M25 towards Heathrow Airport will take up to four times longer, while the M5 around Bristol will see delays of 40 minutes heading into North Somerset. The full list of data is listed below.
Travel Patterns over the Weekend
INRIX historic data indicates that a further 25 per cent of Christmas travellers will make their journey on Saturday 22nd December. Journeys may be impacted by those heading out for last minute Christmas shopping and INRIX reveals the busiest times will be between 12 Noon and 4pm. Monday morning will be quieter and afternoon traffic will build up earlier from 3pm traffic, peaking at 5pm.
"With Christmas Day falling on a Tuesday this year, we anticipate that some drivers will stagger journeys over the weekend to avoid the mass exodus," said INRIX Traffic Analyst Cat Kobylinski.
INRIX advises that drivers still allow double time for their journeys on the Friday particularly on motorways and major arterial routes.
With airlines like British Airways confirming that their busiest day will also be Friday 21st December, INRIX recommends motorists allow for at least an extra hour to your journey to the airport to ensure delays on the roads won't lead to missing your flight.
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Expected
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Factor
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BIRMINGHAM:
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8.5 miles |
18 mph |
20 minutes |
47 minutes |
3.35 |
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- M6 northbound between J9 Wednesbury and J12 Cannock |
9.7 miles |
12 mph |
9 minutes |
44 minutes |
5.89 |
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MIDLANDS |
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STAFFORDSHIRE:
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26.2 miles |
28 mph |
23 minutes |
35 minutes |
2.52 |
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LONDON:
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5 miles |
14 mph |
9 minutes |
17 minutes |
2.89 |
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- M25 clockwise between J11 Chertsey and Heathrow Airport |
9.1 miles |
24 mph |
9 minutes |
26 minutes |
3.89 |
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- M25 anticlockwise between J16 Uxbridge and J11 Chertsey |
13.6 miles |
22 mph |
14 minutes |
31 minutes |
3.21 |
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- A13 eastbound from Canning Town to Barking |
4.1 miles |
13 mph |
9 minutes |
19 minutes |
3.11 |
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- A12 eastbound from Leytonstone to Harold Hill |
10.5 miles |
19 mph |
20 minutes |
20 minutes |
2.0 |
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SOUTH EAST |
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OXFORD:
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21.3 miles |
21 mph |
29 minutes |
26 minutes |
1.89 |
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BERKSHIRE:
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27.1 miles |
38 mph |
38 minutes |
32 minutes |
1.84 |
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BRISTOL:
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9.5 miles |
20 mph |
25 minutes |
39 minutes |
2.56 |
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- M5 southbound from J16 Almondsbury Interchange to J21 Weston Super Mare |
25.2 miles |
30 mph |
31 minutes |
41 minutes |
2.32 |
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SOUTH WEST |
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WILTSHIRE:
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21.4 miles |
27 mph |
37 minutes |
18 minutes |
1.49 |
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NORTH WEST |
CHESHIRE:
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36.6 miles |
28 mph |
35 minutes |
53 minutes |
2.51 |
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YORKSHIRE |
SOUTH
YORKSHIRE:
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9.2 miles |
28 mph |
11 minutes |
17 minutes |
2.54 |
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GLASGOW:
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6.4 miles |
24 mph |
7 minutes |
8 minutes |
2.14 |
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SCOTLAND |
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ABERDEENSHIRE:
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4.1 miles |
20 mph |
11 minutes |
17 minutes |
2.54 |
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