M1 motorway rated one of the worst roads in England by drivers

The M1 is one of the "least satisfactory" major roads in England, according to a driver survey released today.
Congestion on the M1 - rated one of the worst major roads in England.Congestion on the M1 - rated one of the worst major roads in England.
Congestion on the M1 - rated one of the worst major roads in England.

Independent watchdog Transport Focus asked over 8,500 road users to rate motorways and major 'A' road across the country.

The Strategic Roads User Survey (SRUS) found that the M1 had one of the lowest satisfactory rates of all major roads, with just 77% of drivers saying they were satisfied with their journey.

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Most complaints were about journey time, with just 75% of people arriving to their destination within the time expected.

One M1 driver complained that when works are carried out on a small section of the motorway, a larger section of the road than necessary is closed off, causing more disruption.

The M62 was rated as more satisfactory, with 85% of drivers saying they were satisfied with the road.

The survey judged levels of satisfaction by asking questions about journey time, surface quality and how safe drivers felt on the road.

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Both the M1 and the M62 scored highly for safety, with 94% of drivers saying they felt safe on the M1 and 91% on the M62.

Anthony Smith, chief executive of Transport Focus said: “The Strategic Roads User Survey gives Highways England the most robust picture ever at a national, regional and individual road level of driver satisfaction on the motorways and major ‘A’ roads that it manages.

“This survey reflects the experience of all drivers - whether in cars, vans, lorries, coaches or on a motorbike - across a range of key issues.

"The results show where Highways England should focus its efforts to maximise satisfaction, including reducing delays arising from accidents and improving user experience with journey time and road surface quality.”

The top five motorways according to drivers:

M11: 92% satisfied

M3: 89% satisfied

A1(M): 88% satisfied

M40: 86% satisfied

M62: 85% satisfied

?The bottom five motorways according to drivers:

M20: 65% satisfied

M6: 72% satisfied

M25: 76% satisfied

M1: 77% satisfied

M60: 79% satisfied