UK's worst motorway named and it's a 193-mile stretch nowhere near the M25

Daily Mirror

11-07-2025

A major motorway spanning some 193 miles, which has with 48 junctions and carries more than 140,000 motorists every day has been crowned the country's worst - but it's not the M25
The UK's worst motorway, which has been plagued with roadworks and 50mph speed limits, has officially been named and shamed.
Transport Focus' Strategic Roads User Survey 2024-25 found the M1 to be Britons' least favourite motorway, with only 57 per cent of those travelling on it satisfied with their journeys. The major route, spanning 193 miles from London to Leeds with 48 junctions, carries more than 140,000 motorists every day, and is historically one of the most treacherous.
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According to Pass Me Fast, which analysed accident data from 2007 to 2016, the M25 tops the list as the most dangerous in the UK, recording 7,673 accidents, with 13,064 vehicles involved and 80 deaths over that period. The M1 placed in second, with 7,617 accidents involving 13,121 vehicles, but almost double the amount of fatalities — 154.
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One of the main things maddening motorists on the M1 has been the extensive and prolonged roadworks. One survey participant described their experience as 'miles of coned off road with little or no sign of actual work being done'. Another scathed: "Roadworks and average speed checks. M1 is a very difficult road to plan time wise."
The negative impact of these roadworks is not limited to the M1. Across England, only 69 per cent of drivers reported being satisfied with their motorway journeys, a two per cent decline from the previous year.
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Transport Focus found the ongoing upgrades to smart motorways to be a major factor in this downward trend. The survey asked more than 9,000 road users about their recent experiences, revealing that extensive roadworks required for the National Emergency Area Retrofit (NEAR) programme contributed significantly to the drop in satisfaction.
Louise Collins, director at Transport Focus, said: "Long stretches of roadworks, sometimes one after another, and miles of cones have had a significant impact on road user satisfaction with England's motorways, with a disappointing downward trend over the past couple of years. While roadworks are necessary to help maintain roads and drive improvements in user experience, the decrease in road user satisfaction reinforces the importance of National Highways learning the lessons from the smart motorway emergency area retrofit programme.
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"We'll be working with National Highways to help them use these survey findings as they plan future roadworks to make sure the impact on users is minimised." The M1's reputation is further tarnished by its history of serious incidents and breakdowns.
According to Highways England data from 2018-19, there were 32,152 breakdowns on the M1 — the highest total of any motorway in England. It has also been the scene of major accidents, including a tragic collision involving two lorries and a minibus near Newport Pagnell in August 2017, resulting in the deaths of six men and two women — the deadliest motorway accident since a school minibus crash on the M40 in 1993.
So while the M1 is officially the UK's worst motorway, National Highways completed the installation of emergency areas by the end of March, with early indications suggesting that driver satisfaction may be beginning to improve.