Independent garages and mobile technicians are preparing for a busy festive period, as millions of drivers take to the roads for what could be the busiest Christmas getaway on record.
The RAC and AA predict more than 37 million trips in the week leading up to Christmas Day, with Friday 19 December alone seeing around 24 million cars on the move.
RAC mobile servicing lead Nick Mullender warns: “With such high volumes of traffic, journeys have the potential to be ‘Grinch-worthy’ without careful planning. We expect a significant increase in breakdowns, many of which are avoidable with a pre-journey check of oil, coolant, tyres, and lights.”
Historical data reinforces the warning: the AA’s Roadside teams saw a 15% spike in breakdowns during the weekend before Christmas last year, often caused by worn tyres, battery failures, or electrical issues.
With traffic peaking on Friday 19th (‘Frantic Friday’), Saturday 20th (‘Snarl-up Saturday’), and Christmas Eve, workshops can anticipate a wave of last-minute servicing and repair jobs.
The RAC forecasts Christmas Eve as the single busiest day, with 4.2 million journeys expected, while Saturday 20 December reaches 4.1 million trips.
Why it Matters
With millions of drivers on the roads, garages can expect a spike in breakdowns and last-minute servicing requests.
It presents an opportunity for garages to encourage pre-journey checks, tyre inspections, and mobile servicing, helping customers avoid breakdowns while boosting business during the festive rush.
