Measured by National Highways roadside sensors
Are motorways quieter at weekends?
Yes, with a midday peak
Yes. Between 06:00 and 22:00 the typical road carries about 16% fewer vehicles on a Saturday and 19% fewer on a Sunday than on a weekday, and runs 2.0% and 1.5% below normal speed against 6.8% on weekdays. Weekend traffic peaks around midday (11:00 on Saturday, 12:00 on Sunday) rather than at the rush hours. Measured between 1 May 2026 and 15 June 2026.
The evidence
Every road in the comparison| Days | Below normal speed (06:00 to 22:00) | Vehicles an hour per sensor | Slowest hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekdays (Mon to Fri) | 6.8% | 1,990 | 08:00 |
| Saturday | 2.0% | 1,670 | 11:00 |
| Sunday | 1.5% | 1,610 | 12:00 |
How this is worked out
Measured by National Highways roadside sensors between 1 May 2026 and 15 June 2026 on 35 roads with at least 5 sensors each. Each figure is the typical (median) road, so one unusual road cannot decide it. Typical patterns from the archive, not live traffic. The full method.