Drivers are being warned of long delays from today as millions of motorists prepare to travel to see friends and family over the Christmas and New Year's period.
New data from the AA has warned that today, Friday, December 19, will see the worst levels of traffic with 24.4 million cars expected on the road.
Almost two-thirds of motorists reported that their journey would be up to 50 miles, while only five per cent said they would drive between 51 and 100 miles.
Only two per cent of drivers said they would drive more than 100 miles, although the AA states that Friday will be the busiest Christmas getaway on record.
The vast majority of journeys today will be motorists travelling to see friends and family, although some are still rushing to get last-minute presents.
In addition to more than 24 million car journeys expected on Friday, TomTom has warned of "severe" traffic conditions on Saturday (December 20).
The technology company stated that millions of drivers would travel on the weekend for getaways, to see loved ones and pick up any gifts.
Andy Marchant, TomTom's traffic expert, said: "This year's super Saturday is set to spark a surge in traffic across the UK, as last-minute shoppers and festive travellers hit the roads.
Drivers are being warned of long delays across the UK as tens of millions of motorists head home for Christmas
|PA
"Last year, our data showed Edinburgh's congestion peaking at 76 per cent around midday. In London, the evening rush was particularly severe."
Data from last Christmas found the Scottish capital to have the most severe traffic levels, with journeys taking an average of more than 50 per cent longer than normal.
London, Manchester, Birmingham and Sheffield were also seriously affected last Christmas, with drivers likely to see a similar pattern this year.
"Our advice is to plan ahead, allow extra time for your journey and keep an eye on real-time traffic updates to avoid the worst of the festive gridlock," Mr Marchant said.
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National Highways confirmed that it would be removing some roadworks to help the flow of traffic
| PAMotorists could face particular delays on some of the most popular routes across the UK today and over the coming days. These include:
- The M8 between Edinburgh and Glasgow
- The M60 near the Trafford Centre, Greater Manchester
- The M5/M6 interchange near Birmingham
- The M25 near Heathrow airport, west London
- The M25 near Bluewater, Kent
- The M4/M5 interchange near Bristol
The M25 is expected to see some of the worst traffic conditions
| GETTYSeparate data from the RAC warns that a staggering 37.5 million leisure trips will take place between Wednesday (December 17) and Christmas Eve.
It also stated that drivers would see a record-breaking number of trips in the week before Christmas Eve. Roads will be the busiest this year since the RAC started tracking data in 2013.
To ensure traffic is as smooth as possible, National Highways said it would lift more than 90 per cent of roadworks on the strategic road network.
While it acknowledged that some roadworks would need to remain in place, others will be removed between 6am on Sunday (December 21) and Friday, January 2, 2026.