Traffic levels are set to reach record levels for the year today, as around 16 million vehicles take to Britain's roads for the Easter break.

That's the prediction of traffic information firm TrafficMaster, which says commuter traffic will make today particularly busy.

Scottish drivers are least likely to be on the road this weekend, while those from Northern Ireland are most likely to be driving.

Congestion could be eased if more people choose to drive on Good Friday afternoon, according to authorities.

TrafficMaster believes the M25, the M6 (both directions) and sections of the northbound M1 (Beds and Bucks) will be among the most congested motorways.

The train network, too, is set to be affected by a large-scale scheduled engineering programme over the bank holiday weekend.

Despite transportation challenges, around 3.4 million Britons will be taking a staycation in the UK this year – many of them travelling by car. That's according to a VisitEngland poll, which also revealed that 6.5m people are planning day trips over the weekend.

The tourism industry is expected to do well over the holiday, after a quiet few months at the start of the year due to bad weather.

With so much time spent on the road this weekend, many car owners will be making use of their breakdown insurance – or if they are driving to mainland Europe, their short term European cover. If you haven’t yet got cover for your trip, why not get a quote from startrescue.co.uk now?

Dry, sunny skies and temperatures of up to 18 degrees are expected across many parts of the UK tomorrow.