Bank holiday road trips are expected to return to pre-pandemic levels this weekend, an AA research has revealed.

But fewer travellers than normal will be going for the long drives, as most people prefer short getaways, according to the research.

Based on feedback from 14,759 AA members last week, 42 per cent have planned or have in mind a bank holiday getaway. That points to 13.3 million cars on road trips celebrating the end of summer.

That percentage is significantly up on the 37 per cent of bank holiday road trippers last year but back to where the UK was in 2019.

Overall, also taking into account those who will be doing normal weekend travel, UK roads will have to cope with 18.4 million cars on the move at some stage of the three days.

Where pandemic-related life patterns continue to cast a shadow is the much-reduced level of long journeys this bank holiday.

In 2019, 23 per cent set out on road trips of 50 miles or more whereas, this year, it’s down to 13 per cent. Last August bank holiday, it was just 9 per cent.

Edmund King, the president of the AA, said: “Weather is always a big decider on where people spend their bank holiday. However, AA research suggests that local traffic may be heavier this time.

“There are likely to be big delays on the roads where holiday traffic mixes with sporting or shopping day trippers. Drivers are advised to check their cars before venturing out. 

“Covid’s disruption to people’s lives is still noticeable in the 10 per cent fewer long-distance trippers this August. The drop in longer trips might be due to the difficulty in booking accommodation away from home due to more families taking their holidays in the UK.

“Journeys have not yet returned to pre-lockdown patterns. Certainly, government statistics show that car travel since the easing of restrictions has been edging towards 95 per cent of pre-pandemic levels – but that is with public transport use still way down on what it was before Covid.

"September and the expected return of more people to offices will be a huge pointer to how much the coronavirus has changed the way we live, work and travel.”