Everyone loves a good bank holiday, as long as you’ve planned ahead of time. This is usually a great chance to see family and friends, since most will have time away from the office whether they like it or not.
Yet if you’ve been thinking about cancelling your travel plans due to traffic concerns, you’re not alone. It goes without saying that when there’s an increased number of motorists on the road, the chances for an accident increase dramatically. Add to it the usual stress people have of trying to get where they need to go with a limited amount of time, and the risk for accident climbs even higher. Who wants to miss Easter dinner because they were on the road?
OSV Ltd conducted an interesting survey that revealed some new trends. First off, you’re not alone if you’ve cancelled your plans. OSV, the vehicle leasing supplier, indicated that 53% of us stated they weren’t going to drive on the roads until the chocolate season is over. That’s a huge figure, considering that well over three-quarters of motorists in 2014 said that they would do whatever they needed to do in order to be able to drive over the Easter bank holiday.
Sometimes, you just can’t afford to make the trip, and this is a sentiment that 14% of those that opted to avoid car journeys mentioned. Another big reason to stay home, other than just wanting to avoid the traffic? A lack of urgency. We live in the age of technology, where we can connect with family without leaving our homes. Smartphone technology has come a long way, and videoconferencing is the norm rather than a rare event.
Only 47% of motorists said that they really would fire up the car for a journey over the Easter break, which is a huge drop as we said before. According to Debbie Kirkley, this sounds like a trend that might be here to stay. “It is no surprise that potential traffic delays are putting a lot of people off travelling over the Easter period. A long journey being made even longer can be a very stressful time and can result in in-car arguments or accidents.”
If you are going to be on the road, be prepared for these delays. Keep bottled water in the car so you don’t get stuck without it, and bring along things to keep the children entertained if your journey begins to take longer than expected.