Club spokesperson Clare Hunter said the Bruce Highway was at a crawl as people fled to the Sunshine Coast before the 6pm lockdown.

“We’re seeing pictures of the Bruce resembling a carpark with many sections at a complete stop and where it is moving it’s going very slowly - sometimes only 40 kilometres per hour,” Ms Hunter said.

“RACQ Road Conditions is showing delays of up to 40 minutes but we expect that to worsen as the 6pm curfew nears. There's also been a crash at Burpengary which will add headaches.

“South towards the Gold Coast it’s a similar story with traffic moving slowly around Pimpama and Reedy Creek.

“We’re asking everyone to pack their patience and to keep a cool head behind the wheel. Check the traffic online before you set off.

“To cap it off, it’s wet and drizzly out there so it’s important everyone drives to conditions and switches their headlights on.”

Ms Hunter warned there was congestion around major shopping centres in lockdown affected areas including Brisbane, Logan, Redlands, Moreton Bay and Ipswich council areas.

“We’ve been told there is no need to panic buy, with shopping allowed during this lockdown, but there are still a lot of people rushing out for supplies,” she said.

“Take care around these shopping centres, especially in car parks, and keep a close eye out for pedestrians.”