Transport Focus’s annual Strategic Roads User Survey asked 9,000 road users about their last journey on a motorway or major ‘A’ road managed by National Highways.
When it comes to drivers’ least favourite, they rated the M42 as the worst motorway in England.
The M42’s place at the bottom of the league table comes after it scored 56 per cent for overall satisfaction from road users.
According to the research, this is largely due to a significant period of roadworks around Birmingham airport.
However, the M40 motorway had the highest overall satisfaction at 79 per cent. Despite its lofty position, the motorway has dropped from 82 per cent satisfaction rate last year.
In fact, the M40 has taken top spot as last year’s top motorway, the M5, which fell from 82 per cent to 77 per cent.
The A19 was rated the best ‘A’ road in England with the highest overall satisfaction at 85 per cent.
At the other end of the scale, the A12 received the lowest overall satisfaction rating from road users (55 per cent).
Overall, 71 per cent of road users were satisfied with their journey, marking a decrease from 73 per cent in 2022.
Furthermore, road user satisfaction with journey time has declined to 68 per cent, down from 71 per cent when compared to the previous 12 months.
When it comes to road surface quality, the Transport Focus survey found that driver satisfaction declined to 68 per cent compared with 73 per cent the previous year. This is largely down to the poor state of the roads and number of potholes in the UK.
RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: “This data shows that roadworks have an enormous effect on drivers’ satisfaction with whatever major road they’re using – particularly when it comes to journey times. The irony here is that in a great many cases the very roadworks that are holding people up are there to improve future journeys – whether that’s installing much-needed emergency refuge areas or resurfacing worn out carriageways.
“So, a road that hasn’t scored well this year could appear much higher up the list next year as a result of improvements made during the previous year’s roadworks, and the road once again being free of cones.”
Top five best motorways and A roads in the UK
| Overall rank | Road | Satisfaction |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | A19 | 85% |
| 2 | M40 | 79% |
| 3 | M4 | 78% |
| 4 | M5 | 77% |
| 5 | A1(M) | 76% |
Top five worst motorways and A roads in the UK
| Overall rank | Road | Satisfaction |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | A12 | 55% |
| 2 | M42 | 56% |
| 3 | M62 | 60% |
| 4 | A27 | 63% |
| 5 | A3 | 64% |
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