Drivers are being urged to avoid travelling on “Frantic Friday” next week when the last of the year’s commuter traffic will clash with the Christmas getaway.

Leisure journeys will peak at 1.87 million on Christmas Eve, but December 22 is expected to see the worst delays as people driving home from work battle for road space with 1.25 million motorists visiting friends and family, according to RAC figures.

The worst hold-ups are expected to occur between 4pm and 8pm.

Passengers travelling between London and Glasgow during this time are advised to go via Edinburgh, adding around an hour to journeys.

Coach operator National Express is running its largest ever Christmas schedule to meet increased demand from key locations, including Edinburgh and Glasgow.

It is adding nearly 30,000 extra seats to services between Monday and January 2, with Christmas Day bookings up by almost a quarter on last year.

An estimated 11.5 million leisure trips will be made by car between December 17 and Christmas Eve, but this will be eclipsed by the 17.5 million between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day as people take advantage of post-Christmas sales at shops.

Driving will cost more this winter as rising fuel prices mean filling up a typical family petrol or diesel car is around £3 more expensive compared with 2016.

RAC traffic spokesman Rod Dennis said: “Things tend to get worse on the last working day before Christmas, with ‘Frantic Friday’ this year falling on December 22. We strongly urge drivers planning long journeys to avoid this day if they possibly can.”