motorists in terrific Britain are planning around 13 million road trips to check out pals and family during the Christmas travel window between 23 and 27 December, new research suggests.
Some 3.1 million automobile journeys are expected to take place on 23 December – the first of five days in which Covid-19 restrictions will be alleviated across England, Wales and Scotland – according to an RAC Breakdown survey of 1,500 motorists. This is an increase from the estimated 2.4 million trips on the same day last year.

Christmas drink-driving is on the rise

There are then predicted to be 2.8 million and 2.5 million journeys on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day respectively – roughly the same as in 2019. Boxing Day and 27 December 2020 will see just 1.6 million and 933,000 trips respectively, though, compared with 4.5 million and 2.9 million on the same days last year.
Date
Predicted trips by automobile – 2020Estimated trips by automobile – 2019
23rd December3.1 million2.4 million
Christmas Eve2.8 million2.8 million
Christmas Day2.5 million2.6 million
Boxing Day1.6 million4.5 million
27th December933,0002.9 million

Despite the Christmas policies allowing up to three households to form a bubble over the five-day period, 22 per cent of motorists surveyed said they had no plans to make any road trips to see pals or family because of Covid-19, while a additionally 35 per cent aren’t doing so for other reasons.
Advertisement – post continues below

In addition, a separate RAC survey of another 1,500 motorists suggests 28 per cent fewer motorists than last year are planning to use major roads to check out family and pals over the Christmas period, compared with 2019. Instead, 57 per cent of motorists expect their longest trip over the period to be no a lot more than 50 miles, while 25 per cent say it will be no a lot more than 10 miles.