Smart motorways make up bulk of ‘worst’ routes for motorists – survey

One in five think that road conditions are poor overall, too.

Smart motorways report — Vehicles on the M4 smart motorway, looking westwards towards junction 11 in Shinfield. Smart motorways without a hard shoulder are three times more dangerous on which to break down than those that keep the emergency lane, new figures show. The report by Government-owned company National Highways also showed the rate of incidents involving people being killed or seriously injured (KSI) during breakdowns on three out of five smart motorway stretches, with five years’ worth of safety data, increased since their hard shoulder was removed. Picture date: Friday December 15, 2023.

Nine out of a top-ten list of ‘worst’ routes for drivers are sections that have been converted to ‘smart’ motorways, a new survey has found.

The AA spoke to 13,775 drivers via an online poll and discovered that nine of its completed top-ten list of ‘worst’ motorways were sections of smart motorway controlled by overhead gantry signs. Their introduction has, according to the AA caused ‘misery’ for drivers through years of roadworks and subsequent upgrades.

Overall, the M25 – which runs a loop around London – topped the list, with 40 per cent of respondents stating that they found it the worst section of motorway to drive on. Measuring 117 miles long and carrying around 200,000 vehicles per day, it’s the UK’s busiest motorway, though respondents disliked its ‘poor surface’ and traffic ‘artifically caused by auto signage gantry boards’.

The M25 was followed by the M6 – which runs from the Midlands to the border with Scotland – and the M1, which connects London to Leeds. However, those surveyed called the M6 ‘dangerous’ while others pointed out ‘lots of sections without hard shoulders’.

Jack Cousens, AA head of roads policy, said “The M25 is notorious for its heavy traffic and frequent delays. As one of the busiest stretches of motorway in the country, it is no surprise that drivers find it frustrating. Little wonder Chris Rea declared it the ‘Road To Hell’.

“It’s quite telling that nine of the worst motorways have sections of ‘smart’ motorway. Drivers have had to endure years of works for the initial conversion followed by yet more misery to add in the extra emergency areas. Most are telling us they have felt little if any benefit from losing the hard shoulder, with many claiming it’s led to more congestion.

Anoher survey saw drivers asked to give an opinion on the condition of the UK’s motorways, with a third saying that congestion was poor, while one in five said that the road surface condition was also sub-standard.