A UK motorway stretching 193 miles that has been plagued with 50mph speed limits and roadworks has been named the most hated. Spanning from London to Leeds, the M1 has 48 junctions and carries up to 140,000 motorists every day.
The historic motorway has seen more than its fair share of death and destruction from a Boeing 737 jet crashing, abductions, royal funerals and car pile-ups. In 2017 six men and two women were killed after two lorries collided with a minibus on the M1 near Newport Pagnell. The incident represented the largest loss of life as a result of a motorway accident since a school minibus crash on the M40 in 1993. Celebrating its 65th birthday last year, the M1 carried a total of 32,152 breakdown incidents in 2018-19, to record the highest total of any other motorway road in England.
And now the M1 is officially the country’s least-favourite motorway, with just 575 of drivers satisfied with their journey on the road.
Disgruntled drivers have faced miles of roadworks and 50mph average speed limits as extra smart motorway emergency areas were built.
In June 2023, National Highways said it would be building 12 additional emergency refuge areas on parts of the motorway after safety concerns were raised leading to a large amount of cones and signs as well as a frustrating 50mph speed limit.
One survey respondent moans: “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.”
Overall satisfaction in driving has dropped by 2% in comparison to last year with only 69% of drivers overall satisfied with their journey with many growing annoyed at the amount of roadworks.
Transport Focus’ Strategic Roads User Survey finds that although road users “recognise” that emergency areas are needed, they have felt “the impact of roadworks”.
A driver on the M3 complains: ‘Speed restrictions on 15-mile section of road for refuge area work.
‘This causes massive delays as traffic queues for the M25. Why close off such a long section of road when it’s going to take months to complete.’
