RAC has predicted that UK bank holiday travellers will be opting for shorter trips this weekend, highlighting the recent travel chaos, erratic weather and spiralling fuel costs as the cause.

The car insurer and breakdown specialist has suggested that people will choose day trips over weekend jaunts, and has warned that the extensive traffic volumes will last until unusually late in the evening on Friday. It is also expected that Monday afternoon and early evening will see very high volumes, as well as Tuesday morning.

Popular destinations will include theme parks and beaches (providing the weather holds out), and shopping centres such as Bluewater and Lakeside will certainly be swamped with shoppers.

Motorists are advised to plan their route before setting off, and a contingency route would certainly be a good idea. Local radio stations and route planners are great tools that will help you experience an easier journey.

If you are planning on visiting a theme park such as Alton Towers or Thorpe Park, allow extra time for your journey to try and account for peak times.

Your fuel consumption increases when you use lower gears, so don’t forget that traffic jams will result in higher petrol and diesel usage; make sure you have enough for your journey

Always check your oil and water levels, as well as type pressure and wear, to minimise the possibility of a breakdown.

Most importantly, drive safely and enjoy your bank holiday.

This entry was posted on Thursday, April 29th, 2010 at 12:14 pm and is filed under Car Insurance, Vehicle Breakdown Cover. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.