19 Dec 2018
Posted by Barry Aldworth 
While weather conditions are expected to remain largely mild, motorists are being advised that traffic levels will increase significantly towards the end of this week as a large volume of motorists undertake cross-country journeys to visit family for Christmas.
According to AA Ireland, traffic levels in Ireland have been at their heaviest in recent years and are unlikely to relent over the season. While the organisation expects that commuter traffic will gradually tail off throughout the week as workers take time off over the festive period, it will likely be Christmas Eve before any major drop offs in traffic can be seen.
However, Friday, 21 December is expected to be a significantly busier day on the roads as motorists leave cities across the country and return to their families for the holiday period. As a result, the organisation is expecting busy traffic at shopping centres in other towns around the country on Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 December as those travelling home search for last minute gifts.
“City-centre traffic in Dublin, Cork, Galway and Limerick is likely to peak on Thursday December 20th as commuters try to finish off the last of their Christmas shopping before the big day. However, Friday is likely to be the big story as we expect an exodus from cities across Ireland as the first wave of those travelling home for Christmas make their departure,” said Conor Faughnan, AA Director of Consumer Affairs. “With this in mind, we’re urging people to take extra precautions when driving over the coming days as not only will traffic volumes be significantly higher on motorways and in towns across the country, but you will also have a much larger number of motorists driving on routes they’re less familiar with. The key message is to slow down, allow extra distance between yourself and other traffic as those less familiar with a specific route could stop or turn unexpectedly, and of course be on the lookout for vulnerable road users when you are travelling this year”
“After Friday, our Roadwatch team expect that city-centre traffic will drop off quite significantly, although rural areas may see a slight uplift, and that traffic volumes will remain light until December 27th when the post-Christmas sales kick off.”
The AA is also reminding motorists who are planning a long-distance journey by car of the importance of car maintenance at this time of year and, in particular, to check that their tyres are in satisfactory condition.
Last year, AA Rescue, the organisation’s breakdown assistance service, attended an average of 315 breakdowns a day between Thursday December 21 and Saturday December 23, the peak driving home from Christmas window, and a further 243 and 67 breakdowns on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day respectively. Meanwhile, between New Year’s Eve 2017 and New Year’s Day 2018, AA Rescue attended 402 car breakdowns.
“Unfortunately for our AA Rescue team there’s no such thing as a day off as breakdowns can strike on any day of the year. While it’s reassuring for motorists to know that they have an option to turn to if they do breakdown, this is definitely an area where prevention is better than cure,” Faughnan added. “Before you undertake any lengthy journey we recommend that you check your windscreen washer levels, that all your lights and working and the condition of your tyres. Doing so will only take approximately 5 minutes of your time but will help you avoid delays on your journey and ensure you reach your destination safely.”
The AA app is now the quickest way for Members to report a breakdown and allows users to track their Patrol’s arrival on their smartphone – even on Christmas Day. The new app also contains to-the-minute Roadwatch updates for all traffic routes.
AA Rescue tips to ensure your Christmas in a merry one:
- Not all service stations are open on the 25th– remember to fuel-up in advance using the correct fuel type
- Make sure to have a spare wheel as a lot of tyre centres and garages are closed
- To avoid your battery going flat remember to switch off all headlights, interior lights, heaters and the radio when leaving your car
- Keep a pair of jump leads in your boot
- Prepare an in-car safety kit to include: a demisting cloth, de-icer, shovel, salt/sand, AA Membership card, torch, warning triangle
AA Roadwatch are predicting heavy traffic on the following routes in the lead-up to Christmas:
- M50 southbound from J7 Lucan to J17 M11
- M7 Dublin / Limerick Rd especially between J6 Castlewarden and J10 Naas South – Ongoing works in place both ways on the N7 / M7 between J8 Johnstown and J11 M9 until at least early 2019 will add to the usual Christmas delays.
- N11 Dublin/ Wexford Rd from J5 Bray North to Kilmacanogue
- N40 South Ring Rd in Cork City; particularly between J6 Kinsale Rd and the Dunkettle Interchange
- N4/ M4 Dublin/ Sligo Rd from Chapelizod Bypass to J7 Maynooth and also further west through Carrick on Shannon
- N21 Limerick/ Tralee Rd past Patrickswell to Adare and then again to go through Newcastle West and Abbeyfeale
- N20 Cork/ Limerick Rd between Mallow and Buttevant
