{"id":119932,"date":"2026-05-02T07:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-02T06:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/?p=119932"},"modified":"2026-05-02T00:57:13","modified_gmt":"2026-05-01T23:57:13","slug":"fuel-up-now-advice-drivers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/fuel-up-now-advice-drivers\/","title":{"rendered":"Fuel Up Now: The Advice Drivers Are Being Urged to Follow"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>UK drivers are being advised to <strong>fill up with petrol or diesel and set off early<\/strong>, as a surge in travel is expected to cause heavy congestion over the Early May Bank Holiday weekend. Traffic levels are forecast to reach their highest in years, with millions preparing to take advantage of the long weekend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A Peak Weekend for Road Travel<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>According to estimates from <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rac.co.uk\/download-and-drive?cid=aff%7CSkimlinks%7CSub+Networks&amp;utm_medium=affiliate&amp;utm_campaign=other&amp;utm_source=Skimlinks&amp;aw_affid=78888&amp;sv1=affiliate&amp;sv_campaign_id=78888&amp;awc=3790_1777639551_184bcdabc687e946ae1ab7b4ffb1c982\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the RAC<\/a> and transport analysts INRIX<\/strong>, around 19 million journeys will take place between<strong> May 2 and May 4. Nearly 40%<\/strong> of UK drivers are expected to travel at some point during the extended weekend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Saturday is predicted to be the busiest day, with more than <strong>4 million trips planned<\/strong>. This level of activity reflects strong demand for short breaks, day trips and family visits, even as fuel prices remain elevated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why Timing Matters for Drivers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Traffic experts warn that congestion will build rapidly on<strong> Saturday morning<\/strong>. The period between <strong>10am and early afternoon<\/strong> is expected to see the heaviest traffic, prompting advice for motorists to leave <strong>before 10am<\/strong> where possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Starting journeys earlier in the day could help drivers avoid long delays, especially on routes leading out of major cities and towards popular holiday destinations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Petrol and diesel drivers urged to fill up before 10am on Saturday <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/ytJr8wfwoN\">https:\/\/t.co\/ytJr8wfwoN<\/a><br><br>I don&#39;t know if this is national or just local to Lancashire or scaremongering.<\/p>&mdash; Minny (@philosophicalm) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/philosophicalm\/status\/2049755574900756703?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">April 30, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Petrol and Diesel Prices Remain Elevated<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/fuel-prices-surge-across-the-uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Fuel prices<\/a> continue to sit at relatively high levels, with petrol averaging around <strong>157.17p per litre <\/strong>and diesel at approximately 1<strong>89.23p per litre.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite these costs, demand for travel remains strong. Analysts suggest that while prices are a factor for households, they are not preventing large numbers of drivers from taking to the roads during key holiday periods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Vehicle Checks Before Setting Off<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Experts are also encouraging motorists to carry out basic vehicle checks before starting their journeys. Ensuring that oil and coolant levels are correct, tyres are properly inflated and in good condition, and screenwash is topped up can reduce the likelihood of breakdowns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Simple checks can make a difference during busy travel periods, when recovery services are likely to face higher demand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Congestion Hotspots Identified<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Several routes are expected to experience particularly heavy traffic. The <strong>M5 corridor,<\/strong> especially between <strong>Bristol and Taunto<\/strong>n, is likely to see significant congestion as drivers head towards <strong>Devon and Cornwall.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Other major routes out of urban areas may also face delays, particularly during peak departure times on Saturday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What This Means for Drivers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>For motorists, the combination of heavy traffic and higher fuel costs creates a challenging environment for travel. Planning ahead, including refuelling in advance and choosing departure times carefully, could help reduce disruption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With millions expected on the roads, early preparation and flexible travel plans may help drivers avoid the worst of the congestion and make the most of the Bank Holiday weekend.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Millions of drivers are set to hit the roads this weekend, with major congestion expected across key routes. Experts are warning that timing could make all the difference. Here\u2019s why leaving earlier than planned could save you hours.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":119948,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[44],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-119932","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-33","no-featured-image-padding"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119932","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=119932"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119932\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":119949,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119932\/revisions\/119949"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/119948"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=119932"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=119932"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=119932"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}