Summer holiday plans by motorists have surged 20 percent since April with at least 29 million staycations now set to take place.
This will lead to “unprecedented” traffic on UK roads – particularly around the school holiday weeks.
And if overseas travel restrictions remain, the staycation surge could swell further, as a third of those with foreign holidays booked will holiday in the UK instead.
In August 2019, 9.4 million overseas trips were made.
The West Country is likely to be a hot spot with 1 in 3 drivers surveyed planning holidays there; 14 percent will visit Scotland and 8 percent are going to Yorkshire.
Breakdown risk
The RAC is warning motorists to start preparing their cars now in readiness for staycation getaways, to lessen the risk of breakdowns spoiling their holiday plans.
“A second ‘staycation summer’ in a row now looks like a certainty and will mean millions of us relying on our cars to get us wherever we want to go,” said RAC spokesperson Rod Dennis.
“Busier roads, especially in the heat, can mean a sudden sharp increase in breakdowns, so we’re calling on every driver to check their car is ‘road ready’ and isn’t about to let them down.”
The risk of breakdowns may also rise because motorists are planning to holiday much further away from home than normal.
A third of drivers who took a staycation in 2020 say they will be driving greater distances in 2021, planning to explore new areas of the country.
Nearly 6 in 10 say their staycation will be more than 150 miles from home, while 17 percent will travel more than 300 miles.
However, only 5 percent are planning to tow a caravan or trailer.
Top staycation destinations for motorists in 2021
1: West Country – 30%
2: Scotland – 14%
3: Yorkshire – 8%
4=: Lake District – 6%
4=: East Anglia – 6%
6: North Wales – 5%
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