Millions of Brits 'could get stuck in Easter super-jams'

Date: 19/4/2011

Millions of Britons could be set to spend a portion of the much-anticipated two consecutive bank holiday weekends stuck in traffic.

According to research by esure, 77 per cent of people have planned the minimum of a daytrip or night away at some point during the weekends of April 22nd-25th and April 29th-May 3rd.

As a result, the average driver will find themselves spending four hours and 30 minutes in their car and travelling a distance of 220 miles - the equivalent of a journey from London to Middlesbrough.

In addition, eight per cent of drivers admitted that they have a trip of between 500 and 1,000 miles planned.

However, the insurance firm has calculated that each motorist could expect a delay to their arrival time of around one hour and 40 minutes due to the volume of traffic - predicted to be a record high.

Mike Pickard, Head of Risk and Underwriting at esure car insurance, says because of this it is important motorists adequately prepare for their journey.

"Simple precautions such as checking their vehicle before setting off and keeping an emergency breakdown kit in their vehicle could prevent a potentially unpleasant experience," he explains.

Elsewhere, road safety group TyreSafe has also urged car owners to check the pressure of their wheels before setting off, particularly if their motor will be more heavily loaded than usual.

Posted by Sarah Bailey