M1 rated as Britain’s worst motorway

Drivers have rated the M1 as England’s worst motorway in an annual survey by Transport Focus.

Just 57% of drivers said they were satisfied with their journey on the M1 – down from 69% in 2023/24.

Drivers on the motorway, which connects London to Leeds, have faced miles of roadworks and 50mph average speed limits as extra smart motorway emergency areas were built.

One respondent travelling on the M1 complained of ‘miles of coned-off road with little or no sign of actual work being done’.

Another said: “Roadworks and average speed checks. M1 is a very difficult road to plan time wise.”

The Transport Focus survey also reports a drop in overall satisfaction with England’s motorways and major ‘A’ roads.

In its survey of 9,000 drivers, it found more than two-thirds (69%) of road users were satisfied with their journey on the strategic road network, which is managed by National Highways, a drop from 71% last year.

Analysis of the data shows a key reason for the decline in overall satisfaction is the roadworks required to install more than 150 new emergency areas on smart motorways, as part of National Highways’ National Emergency Area Retrofit (Near) programme.

The M40, which runs between London and Birmingham, retains its place as the highest rated motorway with three-quarters (75%) of drivers satisfied.

The A30 from Exeter to Penzance was rated the best ‘A’ road in England with the highest overall satisfaction at 85%.

The A47 received the lowest overall satisfaction rating from road users. A common cause of complaint was the surface of the road.