Motorists across the United Kingdom are being advised to ensure their vehicles have sufficient fuel ahead of Christmas Day, with a series of planned forecourt closures set to affect major supermarket chains.
Essential Festive Travel Checklist
BBC travel experts have issued a stark reminder for drivers to prepare their vehicles for the busy festive period. The key advice is to fill your fuel tank before the end of Wednesday, 24th December, to avoid being caught out.
Beyond fuel, drivers should conduct basic safety checks. This includes ensuring tyres are correctly inflated, all lights are functioning properly, and screen wash and de-icer supplies are topped up. For personal safety, preparing for potential bad weather by carrying a charged mobile phone, warm clothing, and supplies of food and drink is strongly recommended.
Petrol Station Opening Hours Over Christmas
Forecourt availability will vary significantly between retailers on Christmas Day. All Tesco petrol filling stations will be fully closed on 25th December. Their stores and fuel stations will also be shut, with varying hours on other days around the holiday.
Asda has confirmed that its petrol stations equipped with pay-at-the-pump technology will remain open throughout the festive period. Customers are advised to use the online store locator for precise timings at individual sites.
Sainsbury's has outlined that its petrol stations typically open 30 minutes before and close 30 minutes after the main store. However, on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, they will open an hour later. Many BP and Shell sites are expected to operate normal hours, though some independent garages may have reduced opening times.
For longer journeys, motorway service stations provide a reliable option, as they are legally required to be open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Dash Cams and Festive Road Safety
With Christmas being one of the busiest times on UK roads, safety experts are highlighting the increased risk of accidents due to winter weather and heavier traffic. Rhydian Jones, a car insurance expert at Confused.com, emphasised the growing importance of tools like dash cams and police reporting schemes such as Operation SNAP.
"Dash cams have become valuable safety tools that offer clarity and protection when incidents occur," Jones stated. However, awareness of how to use this footage effectively remains low.
Recent research reveals that since 2022, over 232,709 videos have been submitted to police forces via such schemes. Despite this, nearly three in four drivers (73%) were unaware that Operation SNAP even existed.
Furthermore, over one in five motorists (21%) have witnessed dangerous driving but did not know how to report it, and almost a third (29%) believe local police should do more to promote these reporting mechanisms. Increasing public awareness is seen as crucial to improving safety during the hectic festive travel season.
