Traffic is expected to reach record highs across the UK in the lead-up to Christmas, with the M8 corridor between Glasgow and Edinburgh highlighted as a congestion hotspot.
The AA predicts that Friday, December 19, will be the busiest day on the roads, with an estimated 24.4 million cars expected nationwide.
The organisation described it as the busiest Christmas getaway on record and part of a steady rise in traffic volumes since pandemic restrictions were lifted.
A survey of more than 10,000 AA members found that most drivers intend to stay local on Friday, with 65 per cent planning journeys of up to 50 miles.
Only 5 per cent said they would travel between 51 and 100 miles, while just 2 per cent planned journeys exceeding 100 miles.
The main reason for travel is visiting family and friends, followed by shopping and work.
The AA said these travel patterns are likely to cause traffic build-ups around retail centres and key motorway junctions.
Traffic data company TomTom also warned of “severe” congestion on Saturday, when many drivers are expected to make a last-minute dash for shopping or begin festive journeys.
TomTom analysis from the Saturday before Christmas last year identified Edinburgh as the UK’s most congested city, with average journey times rising by more than 50 per cent.
Andy Marchant, traffic expert at TomTom, 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. Last year, our data showed Edinburgh’s congestion peaking at 76 per cent around midday.
“Drivers should expect the busiest periods between midday and early evening, as shopping trips, social plans and the Christmas getaway all converge.
“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.”
The RAC estimates there will be 37.5 million leisure journeys by car between Wednesday and Christmas Eve, the highest total it has recorded in the week before Christmas since monitoring began in 2013.
Christmas Eve is expected to be the most crowded day on the roads, with 4.2 million trips forecast.
To help keep traffic moving, National Highways will remove more than 90 per cent of roadworks on English motorways and major A roads from 6am on Sunday until the early hours of January 2.
A National Highways spokesperson said: “Some work will still need to continue but our teams will be working around the clock to keep the country moving.”
The surge in travel extends beyond the roads, with UK airports also preparing for what is expected to be their busiest ever Christmas period.
The travel association Abta estimates that more than five million people from the UK will travel abroad between Friday and January 4.
Winter sun destinations such as mainland Spain, the Canary Islands, Portugal and Turkey are proving especially popular.
Christmas market breaks in Tallinn, Estonia; Gdansk, Poland; Vienna, Austria; and Cologne, Germany are also proving popular.